Letters to the King
by Cactus Bob
Summary: Famine has struck the land, and Yugi's poor family is suffering terribly. In a desperate attempt to save his relatives, Yugi begins a journey to the capital to meet with the king and ends up meeting far more than he bargained for.
1. Famine and a Cloud of Darkness

Yu-Gi-Oh © Kazuki Takahashi

I thought I had uploaded this last week... I guess I was wrong. I can't find this story anywhere. Huh. Forgive me if this is a double post and I didn't realize.

* * *

Winter was coming. Yugi shivered and pressed his light tunic around him as much as he could. The tunic was torn and covered in dirt, but it was the only item of clothing that he had. His family could barely afford to feed him and his siblings, much less get them decent winter apparel.

Yugi stared at the water and sighed. He had been knee-deep in the icy depths for the last hour, yet not a single fish had passed by. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do, of course. School, friends, apprenticing for trades… that was all for the people who lived in or near the city. Such opportunities were not available in the rough land of Pelionath. There was only one thing to do here, and that was survive. Still, that one task occupied most of his families time.

His mother was a seamstress, and a quite accomplished one at that. Once a week she would travel all day and night to get into the city, where she would take clothing orders from those more wealthy and distinguished citizens. Then she would travel back, finish her orders, and deliver them personally to each of her customers. Though she worked for the greatest names in Argon, she was paid very little. The higher ups seemed to think that such dirty and unworthy hands touching their clothing diminished the clothing's value.

His father spent most of his time tending their family's scrawny cows. He was able to siphon small amounts of milk from the animals, but just enough to feed the twins. When the cows would die, the meat would be sold rather than eaten. An ounce of meat would buy them a pound of vegetables in the market.

Having grown up on a lean diet of milk and produce, Yugi was small in stature and very thin. He fit in with his brothers and sister in this way, but not in any other. His features were extreme and differed greatly from anyone else he had ever seen. His hair was a combination of red, black, and gold, and his irises were a vivid violet. He had a small nose and wide eyes. He was basically an outcast in his own family, and Yugi often wondered if he came from the same place as the others had.

A small fish darted in front of him, and Yugi waited patiently until the fish slipped between his motionless fingers. In one swift motion, Yugi seized the creature and lifted it out of the water. It wriggled in his hands, and Yugi quickly sliced off its head with a sharp rock. The head was not put to waste, however. Yugi carried it home with the rest of the fish's body, as it could be eaten just like any other part of it.

"Found anything, sweetie?" his mother asked. Her fingers were stiff with cold, but she still managed to sew at record speeds.

Yugi threw the fish into a bowl of carved wood and sat down next to her. "Yup! I caught a fish!"

"Just one?" she asked. Her tone was casual, but it hurt Yugi. He had worked hard for that single fish. It wasn't his fault that they seemed to be getting fewer and fewer in population every day.

"Yeah, Mom, just one," he answered quietly.

She seemed to realize her mistake and stopped her work. Sighing, she turned around and caressed his face with her hand. "You did very well, Yugi. I'll make stew, so everyone can have a little bit of it. We don't get fish very often."

"That's 'cause the Harts have tried to keep us from fishing in their water," Yugi said bitterly. "Funny how now that it's winter they don't seem to care. They just didn't want us messing up their perfect picnic scenery."

"Now, now, Yugi, they have their reasons, and that's not for us to decide," his mother chided. "Technically, they _do _own that river, so they can do whatever they please with it. Consider it a privilege that they're letting us fish there now."

That was how Yugi was raised. "We may not have much," Yugi's mother always said, "but we have what's important: a family that loves one another, a roof over our heads, and enough food to get by."

Yugi repeated this mantra over and over in his head as the days grew colder and the light grew shorter. Soon there were no fish at all, and the vegetables had grown even more expensive. Supposedly a mysterious famine had begun to spread over the known earth, a black and purple cloud that made the sun disappear and the crops shrivel.

A cow died mid-December, leaving them with meat to sell. Yet prices for vegetables had become so high that it was worth it just to eat the meat itself rather than go through the trouble of getting to the market. "How's it taste, Yugi?" his father asked, smiling at him, his older sister, and the twin toddlers.

Yugi tore into the meat like an animal, for he hadn't eaten in two days. It tasted more wonderful than he could have imagined, yet at the same time it tasted strangely… familiar. But Yugi could never have tasted real beef before. He had lived in this place his entire life, and his parents would never have let meat go unsold before.

Soon even the sparse meals they had became nonexistent. Yugi's father and one of the twins had come down with a strong sickness, and winter was still one month from ending. "Yugi," Yugi sister said to him, "You know I can't stay here. You know that I'm just one more mouth to feed. If I find some way of earning decent money, then I'll do my best to get our family some help, but… I don't know. I'm leaving." She kissed him on the forehead. "Goodbye, little brother."

Two days later, the sick twin died. There was nothing else to do. Would the entire family die like that? Would they all starve and freeze to death? There was only one person who could ever help them… but would he listen?

Yugi snuck off to the market that evening while his father and mother were trying to tend to their one remaining twin. Sneaking into the back room of the library, he stole a piece of paper and an ink pen. He needed to write a letter, a letter to the king.

Yugi had learned to write by befriending the woman who worked at the library. She had sat him down and shown him the letters and the sounds that accompanied them. He hated having to steal from her. She might have even given him the paper and pen for free. But Yugi could not take that risk. This was too serious.

"To the esteemed lord and ruler of Ishravitas," Yugi began. "From Yugi Mutou, a resident of the plains of Pelionath.

"My lord, our family is starving and dying. The famine may not have a big impact on someone as rich as you, but the vegetables in the city of Argon have gotten too expensive for us to buy. My sister left the house to try and feed herself, and my little brother died of the cold sickness.

"Please, if you ever get this letter, send someone to help us! We work very hard, but we still can't do enough."

Yugi folded up the letter and wrote the king's address on it. Then, sneaking beside the postman, he slipped the letter into the mailman's bag and dashed back to his house. The king lived far away, but maybe he would read Yugi's letter and help them… before something worse happened.


	2. A First Step and a New Friend

"Yugi," Yugi's mother said. She ushered him towards her and handed him a full sackcloth bag. "Yugi, you are young, but since your sister left you are our eldest child. Therefore you have the responsibility of taking care of your little brother."

Yugi nodded. "What do you want me to do, Mom? Is something wrong with Elise?"

"No, no, not yet," his mother replied, shaking her head. "But there could be something wrong with him later. You know that our situation has only been getting worse and worse, so it won't take very long for us all to be sick. Your father and I have spent all of our remaining money on these provisions for you." She pointed to the bag in his hand.

"But why?" Yugi asked.

"You need to go speak to the king personally, as a representative for us and for the rest of the poor people like us," she said. "You need to go to King Atem's castle in Minavre and ask him for his help."

Yugi decided not to tell his mother that he had already sent the king a letter. "Of course, Mom, I'll go for you," Yugi said. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "But what should I say when I get there?"

Yugi's mother smiled at him. "When you go to the kingdom, present this." She reached behind her neck and unclasped a shining silver necklace. It had a strange rune engraved on it.

"Mom, why didn't you sell this before?" Yugi asked, awestruck at its worth and its beauty.

"You can't sell them, Yugi, not legally," she said. "These are seals given by the royal family as a mark of citizenship of Minavre."

"But we're _not _citizens of Minavre," Yugi argued.

Yugi's mother sighed and kneeled down next to him. "Yugi, it is time for me to tell you something. You have noticed that you don't look like me or any of the other members of our family, haven't you?" Yugi nodded. "Well, you may already know this to a certain extent, but I never actually gave birth to you. I consider you my son, of course, but I found you wandering through the forest with a dazed look on your face, wearing tattered clothing. When I first saw you, you started treating me as if I had been your mother for your entire life."

"What… where did I come from?" Yugi asked softly. She was right—he had been expecting this. What else could explain the strangeness of his features? Even recessive genes couldn't create such a difference.

"I honestly don't know, and you never said. I don't think you remembered… it seemed like your memory changed when you met your father and your sister, as if it was adapting to your new situation. Still… that was when I found this necklace. I think you came from Minavre, so… now you can return."

Yugi hugged his mother. "I don't… want to say goodbye… to the others…" he said, his throat closing up and his eyes beginning to burn. "I don't think I could leave."

"I'll tell them you'll be back soon," Yugi's mother said, winking knowingly. "See you."

Yugi took a firm hold of his bag and turned north. The road to Minavre would be long, and he might not have enough food to last him… but there was no other choice. Tucking his seal into his pocket, he took his first step on his way to the king.

* * *

Yugi walked for an entire day before he came to a legitimate road. He was now deeper into the heart of the country, where the trees were denser and the grass was thicker. A strange purple cloud hung over the sun, blocking out most of the heat and light. 

The day was ended, and Yugi was hungry, as he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He wanted to save his food for as long as he could, seeing as he had a week's journey left to go.

Yugi walked off the road into the forest and marveled at the abundance of firewood. In Pelionath, very little vegetation grew, even by the river. Any trees that managed to grow above three feet tall were speedily cut down, so firewood was rare and was treated with immense appreciation. He picked up smaller branches for kindling, but he had no hatchet with which to cut any larger pieces. Instead, he tried to pull larger branches from the trees, but his small weight and minute strength did not make this easy.

"Hey, need some help with that?" a man asked. Yugi spun around, slipping a small knife out of his pocket.

The man emerged from the shadow of the trees with his hands raised. He had brown hair and eyes, and he was quite tall. "Put that thing down, man! Just trying to help!"

"Sorry," Yugi apologized, and put his knife back in his pocket. His hand grazed again his Minavran seal. "But I haven't had that much experience with trustworthy outsiders. Why do you want to help me?"

"Outsider? What are you talking about?" the man asked, scratching his head. "_I _live in Vaiti. On the other hand… _you _don't look like you come from there."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, feeling a little offended.

"I don't mean anything harsh by this, but you're… kind of short," the man replied. "There aren't many short people in Vaiti."

"I don't mind; I'm short, I know it," Yugi said, shaking his head. "But I meant people outside of Pelionath. Well, no, not really. I meant people outside of my family."

"Dude, you lived in Pelionath? I hear that place's weather is crazy," the man said. He seemed to find a bit of respect for Yugi after hearing this news. He extended his hand. "Hey, I'm Tristan."

Yugi's small hand embraced Tristan's large one. "I'm Yugi. It's nice to meet you."

Tristan snapped the large branch from the tree easily and broke it into manageable pieces with his bare hands. Yugi began to get a little fearful of his strength, but this Tristan seemed friendly enough. Yugi knelt down and made a fire. He wondered what he was going to do. He didn't think he had enough food both for him and for his new companion.

"So what brings you out to Vaiti?" Tristan asked, reclining comfortably against a tree. "It must be a day's walk from Pelionath."

"I'm going to Minavre," Yugi answered. "I have to speak to the king. I'm representing my family because we can't get enough food to eat with this famine, and we need his help."

"Sorry to break it to you, Yugi, but I really don't think that King Atem's going to help you," Tristan said. "It's not just your family that's starving. Everyone's suffering because of this. King Atem knows it, and he doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. Maybe you should go back home before trying to travel for a week to Minavre…"

"No," Yugi replied shortly. "That's not an option for me. I have to do this… for my family."

"Okay, dude," Tristan replied. "It's no big… just trying to look out for ya."

"What about you? Why are you out in the forest instead of inside the city?" Yugi asked.

"I'm just waiting for my friend. He's, uh, trading," Tristan said shiftily.

Yugi stared at him. "You're a bandit," he stated.

Tristan frowned. "So what if I am? You said it yourself—there's hardly any way for the working class to get food legally anymore. Ya do what you gotta do to survive, right?"

"If you think that I believe in stealing…" Then Yugi stopped. He had stolen supplies so that he could send his letter. "Never mind."

"Did you have any food for your journey to Minavre?" Tristan asked. Yugi didn't want to reply. He wasn't greedy or anything, but he needed that food. "I wasn't going to eat any of it. I just wanted to know if you had any," Tristan explained, reading Yugi's mind.

"Sorry," Yugi apologized. "Yeah, I have food. Enough for…" Yugi checked his bag. It contained potatoes and carrots. "Maybe four days if I eat it sparingly."

"Four days won't be enough to get you to Minavre without a horse," Tristan said seriously. "How's about me and my buddy come with you? We can get you some grub. You could use extra food, we could use a decent cook."

"I'm not a very good-"

"Great, then it's settled," Tristan said, ignoring him completely. "Thanks for the fire, dude. I'll see you in the morning." And, pulling his hood over his eyes, he crossed his arms and went to sleep.

Yugi did not follow suit immediately. Still very hungry, he first roasted and ate one of his potatoes. He threw a few more branches on the fire and hoped to have good dreams as he faded into the recesses of his mind.


	3. Fairies and Two Silver Spoons

"Yug', Yug', get up!" someone yelled in Yugi's ear. Yugi opened one of his eyes and cried out as he looked up at a person he didn't recognize. "Come on, Yug', we gotta get outta here!" the blonde man exclaimed, looking over his shoulder as Tristan put out the last of the fire with his foot and grabbed Yugi's bag for him.

"Joey, what did you do?" Tristan demanded as they all ran for their lives what sounded like an angry mob.

"Well, maybe I tried ta get off with too much," Joey admitted.

"_This must be Tristan's friend,"_ Yugi thought. _"I guess that his thieving didn't work out so well."_

"Well, what _did_ you get?" Tristan asked. Joey held up two silver spoons. "Spoons!?" Tristan spat incredulously. "You got spoons!?"

"They're silver, ain't they!?" Joey yelled back, and they continued to run north until they could no longer hear the sounds of footfalls and frustrated shouts behind them. They hung their heads between their knees as they tried to catch their breath.

"Hi, Yug', I'm Joey," Joey said, and he shook Yugi's hand. "Tristan told me all 'bout ya. Well, he told me your name, anyways."

Yugi laughed. "Hello, Joey. It's nice to meet you too."

Joey held his stomach and sighed. "Anybody got anything ta eat?" he asked. "All that runnin' made me hungry."

"You just ate last night, Joey," Tristan said. Joey's jaw dropped.

"You expect a grown man like me ta eat once a day?" he asked incredulously. "Ya gotta be outta your mind! I expect my t'ree squares, famine or no famine!"

"I'll share some of my food with you, Joey," Yugi offered. "You did work hard to get those spoons, after all."

"Thanks, Yug'!" Joey yelled, and fished through Yugi's bag. He downed some carrots and Tristan shook his head at him.

"You needed that food for your trip, Yugi," Tristan said. "Ya can't keep feeding Joey here if you want to get the whole way. His stomach is a bottomless pit."

"Don't worry," Yugi replied, smiling. "While we were running away, I noticed lots of edible roots and mushrooms in the forest. If we just go back and gather them, then we should have plenty of food."

Joey burped. "Good thinkin'. But, uh, how are we supposed ta go back there without bein' seen?"

"They don't know that I'm with you, right?" Yugi said, winking. "So I can go back there whenever I want."

He turned and set back off into the forest, carrying his bag of food. Most of the edible fungi grew at the base of trees, where the majority of the leaves had begun to rot. He picked up enough to last them a while, but then he realized that he should bring some fresh water as well. He continued to wander through the woods, keeping his eyes and ears alert for any sign of a river, creek, or stream. He also needed something to store the water in.

The sounds of trickling water reached his ears, and he set out at a jog towards it. The river was fairly large and clear enough to seem clean, although Yugi would drink anything if he had the need.

As he was contemplating how to carry the water, he heard sounds of laughter coming from upstream. "Maybe," Yugi thought, "those people will lend me a water jug if I ask nicely. It will be good to carry some around for the future."

Yugi walked towards the sounds of people and observed three women sitting on the riverbank and soaking their feet in the stream. They were clothed in dresses with colors more brilliant than anything he had ever seen. They must have been princesses or queens to afford such wonderful material.

"Excuse me," Yugi said timidly, approaching them. "I was wondering if you could give me a jug so that I can carry water on my journey. I didn't have any to bring."

They looked up at him. One had short brown hair and a vivid red dress on. The next looked older, had blonde hair and striking violet irises, and was wearing a slinky purple dress that matched her eyes. The last looked younger than them all. She had brown hair down to her waist and an angelic white dress on. They were all barefoot, but three pairs of green slippers rested beside them.

"A water jug?" the woman clothed in purple asked. "Sorry, hun, we don't have any."

"And we would give you some money to go buy one in Vaiti… but we don't have any of that either," the woman in red laughed.

"No money?" Yugi asked incredulously. "But… I mean, you look like royalty or something. How could you not have any money?"

"You have to hand it to the boy—he does know how to flatter a woman," the violet woman said. "Hate to break it to you, but we're nowhere near royalty. We may not have to buy our food, but this famine is taking a hard toll on us too. You see this river? It's our only source of water, but it's been tasting worse and worse for the last month."

"We think it's poisoned," the scarlet woman stated. "We don't have anywhere else to go, though. No Phyta has ever left the Riverwood before."

Yugi's jaw dropped. "Phyta?" he repeated. "You three are forest fairies?"

"That's right," the white-clad woman answered. That would explain the brilliantly colored dresses and the green slippers. That would also explain the fact that they were putting their feet into the stream, which was the only proper way for them to drink water.

Yugi looked down into the clear, clean, poisoned water. "I'm very sorry about your river," he said sadly. "I wish there was some way for me to fix this."

"Don't you know what's causing it?" the scarlet fairy asked. "Isn't there something you can tell us about what's going on in the outside world?"

"It might have something to do with the dark cloud that's causing the famine," Yugi mused. "The rain and snow from it must be poisoned." The fairies cast their eyes downward. "I'm sorry," Yugi repeated.

"No, this isn't your fault," the scarlet fairy said, standing up. "This is our problem too, so we shouldn't just stand around and wait until the forest dies. We need to help somehow."

"But Tea, no one's been outside the forest! You can't go… You might die," the white fairy whispered.

Tea spun around. "That's just a myth, and you know it. I'm not going to sit back and let others take responsibility for what I have to do. I'm going out into the world to help. Maybe there's something I can offer that the humans can't."

The violet fairy stood up and tried to stop Tea from leaving. "Tea, don't be an idiot. What makes you think that you'll be able to solve what human kings can't?"

"I have to believe that there's still hope for this world," Tea answered. "I have to go."

"Tea," Yugi began, "if you really want to do this, then you shouldn't try to do it alone. Why don't you come with me and my friends? We were going to see the king ourselves. Maybe you can find something useful along the way. Maybe he can help you."

Tea smiled at him. "Thank you," she said. She bent her arms parallel to her body, lifted her palms to the sky, and bowed her head. "It's nice to meet you. Your name is…?"

"I'm Yugi. It's nice to meet you too." Yugi sighed. "But I still don't have any water, which is what I came here for. I guess we'll need to-" Yugi was cut off by the sound of something falling into water. He looked over and saw two hollow balls, almost like the mysterious and exotic coconuts of legend, floating down the creek.

Yugi waded in and picked them up. Each had a top attached to a string, and there was another string binding them together so that they would be easy to carry. "Where did this come from? It's perfect," Yugi wondered.

"Tree spirits," Tea said affectionately, looking into a dark cluster of trees. Yugi followed her gaze and found himself looking at a human pair of eyes inside a monkey's face. The creature cackled at him and darted back into the darkness. "They must like you, Yugi."

Yugi filled the coconuts with water, which, though poisoned, was the only water they had. "Are you ready to go?" he asked his new companion.

Tea turned back to her friends. "Serenity, Mai, I know we've been friends for a really long time…"

"Don't sweat it, hun. We'll see you soon," Mai replied, winking.

"See you, Tea," said Serenity. She waved Tea goodbye, and Tea waved back to her friends.

"Goodbye, everyone," Tea said softly. "I'll miss you."


	4. Phyta Tears and Ruin

I would like to apologize to all of you for a horrendous technical error on my part. Chapter 4 is, in fact, chapter 5. So please, read the real chapter 4 but submit your reviews under chapter 5, if you don't mind. This may explain how the gang inexplicably showed up at Minavre. Thank you, and please forgive my mistake.

* * *

It was midday, and the sun was scorching. Tea was hot and very thirsty, explaining that she had gotten far less sun in the tree-dense Riverwood. She also became a bit aggravated upon spending the entirety of last night and this morning with Joey and Tristan, who were wearing on her nerves.

"Do they ever shut up?" Tea demanded quietly of Yugi as they walked down the street. Her feet hurt from the rough pavement. Yugi would have lent her his shoes (for their feet were the same size), but he didn't have any. The cobbler's store was far too expensive for his family, so he and his siblings had had to develop a thick layer of callous since childhood.

"No," Yugi replied, speaking from experience. "Tea, I know that you're used to hanging out with all of your female friends, but we're just a bunch of guys, so you're going to have to get used to the way we handle things. Not to mention the fact that we're human, too."

"I'll be fine," Tea sighed. "But can we stop for a bit?"

"Sure. Guys, wait up! Let's stop for lunch!" Yugi yelled ahead to the others, who were currently engaged in some sort of off-beat can-can.

The gang sat down in a circle beside the highway and opened up the bag filled to the brim with edible mushrooms. Making a fire, Yugi, Joey, and Tristan roasted theirs on sticks. Instead of eating with them, Tea dug her feet into the ground and closed her eyes.

"Dude, what's she doing?" Tristan asked. He waved his hand in front of her eyes, as if wondering if she was really asleep.

"She's eating, Tristan, just like the rest of us," Yugi answered matter-of-factly. He opened up one of the water-filled coconuts, took a sip, and then poured a bit of it at Tea's feet. "She's a forest fairy, so this is how she eats and drinks."

Tea opened her eyes after a few minutes and extracted her feet from the muddy water she was sitting in. Yugi caught a glimpse of something like roots disappear into her soles. "I don't understand why anyone would want to eat through their mouths," she said, looking at them with disgust.

"Well, I don't understand why anyone would wanna eat t'rough their feet, but we all got issues, right?" Joey said, feeling a bit annoyed. He took a giant bite of mushroom. "I mean, what else are mouths good for?" he asked, spraying them with partially pulverized food.

Tea grimaced. "How about talking?" She shook her head. "Scratch that. You do enough of it already."

"Maybe that's 'cause you don't do enough, Tea," Tristan interjected. He was trying to keep the peace; he didn't want to have to travel another four or five days with these bickering idiots. "Come on, tell us about yourself. Your home… your family?"

"Phytarim don't have families," Tea responded shortly, "and our only home is the forest."

"What about your two friends?" Yugi asked cheerfully. "And I'm sure you had a childhood, right?"

"Why does everyone want to talk about me?" Tea demanded. "I don't want to have this conversation. Can't you understand…?" A tear welled in her eye. "Can't you understand that I don't want to talk about my family or my friends or my childhood?"

"Not unless you tell us first," Joey said quietly.

Tea paused for a while. Her lip quivered, and the tear that she had tried so hard to hold back rebelliously rolled down her cheek. "When I was a child," she began, "the forest… it was different. Instead of being ruled by our queen, the humans tried to rule us themselves. King Aknamkanon, as you called him, gave us rules and boundaries that we could never have followed.

"My friends and I did what they had to. It was dark, very dark, I remember… this huge shadow had covered the moon. But we had to cross the forbidden river to pay homage to the tree spirits. If we didn't pay homage to them, they wouldn't let us live in their woods anymore, because the forest really belongs to them.

"But the king… he had done something evil to the lower plants. He had given them wills of their own or something… and they betrayed us. They captured me and my friends and kept us in the prison under the Borl Komoran—the Great Tree—until King Atem came into power. He let us rule ourselves, not like his father… but it was so dark down there. I never thought I would see the sun again."

Tea began to shake with sobs and covered her face. "So I wanted to come out here with you—you humans—so that I could save my forest from the darkness of that cloud and the poison in the river. But… how am I supposed to rely on humans' help when I don't understand you at all?"

Yugi touched her hand with the utmost gentleness. "I guess you're just going to have to deal with us, Tea," he said, smiling briefly. "Everything's going to be all right. I'm sure that King Atem will find a way to fix this."

"I d-don't want Mai and Serenity to feel the way that I did," Tea whispered. "I want everyone to be in the light."

"We gotta stick together, Tea. We aren't gonna be able ta do this without each other," Joey encouraged. "So don't worry 'bout your friends, 'cause Joey Wheeler's on da case!"

"So am I," Tristan said.

Yugi nodded. "Me too."

Tea wiped her face and smiled. "I guess you guys are all right."

* * *

Four days later, the gang arrived at the gates of Minavre, soiled, bedraggled, and exhausted. Nevertheless, they hadn't starved thanks to Yugi's expertise on edible plants and fungi.

"Dude, this place is crazy!" Tristan exclaimed, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked on at the dazzling city walls and the palace tower that rose high above all of the other buildings. "Who'd want to live here? I'd go blind in a day!"

"D'ya think they'd mind if, y'know… we like, took a piece o' their walls or something?" Joey asked, scratching his nose shiftily. The others glared at him, and he decided to let the issue slide.

"Do you think they have dirt?" Tea asked suddenly. "I mean, everything looks so… clean."

"It's no use standing around here," Yugi said. "Come on, let's go!" They ran up to the gates of the city and saw a pendant-sized circular indentation with an eye-shaped rune on it. Yugi took his mother's necklace out of his pocket and saw the same rune on it, only backwards. "Well, here goes."

He reached forward and put the necklace into the slot. Then, as if by instinct, he turned it one hundred and eighty degrees counterclockwise. The gate seemed to disintegrate before their eyes, and Yugi quickly snatched his necklace back.

The castle had seemed beyond magnificent at first glance, but inside the magical, sparkling walls, it was a completely different picture. The town was gray, dusty, and covered in spider webs and ivy. It looked as though no one had lived there for years. Windows were broken, store signs were torn down, and scraps of tattered fabric blew in the eerie breeze, which rolled a thick, low-lying fog before their feet.

"What happened?" Joey asked.

Yugi turned behind them. The gate had reappeared. "I think someone made this place look different from the outside," he mused. "I think that some magician didn't want anyone to know what Minavre really looked like, and he didn't expect anyone else to come in. I mean, from the outside, this place looks pretty formidable, right? Who'd try to attack it? I bet all of the real citizens of Minavre have been dead for a while."

"A magician?" Tristan asked. "A real magician? That can't be right; I thought all of the magicians in Ishravitas worked directly for the royal family."

"Maybe that's not true. Maybe one of them has escaped the control of the king and is running loose out there," Yugi said. He stopped. "He could be the one causing this famine!"

"But if this magician is powerful enough to conquer Minavre, what chance do we stand against him?" Tea asked.

Joey nodded. "She's right, Yug'. If King Atem and his royal court couldn't stop him…"

"We can't think like that," Yugi said determinedly. "We can't give up just because things are looking down. We just have to remember what we're fighting for."

Yugi fearlessly began to walk toward the castle, all the while remembering the beloved brother and sister that he had already lost. This was no time for despondency. This was a time for action.


	5. The King's Eyes and a Meager Feast

Hi, guys; due to a technical error this chapter was erroneously uploaded as chapter 4. Please, go read the real chapter 4 but submit your reviews for this chapter. Thank you.

* * *

The palace's main gate was lowered, as if whoever inside was expecting or even hoping for a visitor. Yugi stepped inside, his new companions close behind him. "Uh… hello?" Yugi asked. His voice echoed through the empty hall, which was dust-laden and decrepit. No one answered him.

Yugi began to travel at a quicker pace as he walked through room after room. Was everyone dead?

Suddenly, an old, short man walked up to them from the shadows. His body and most of his face were covered in black cloth, as if he were in great mourning. Yet his eyes seemed to smile.

"I presume that you wish to speak with the pharaoh?" he asked. Yugi bowed, for this man bore one of the Golden Eyes, the symbols of the royal family. Though he acted like a servant, he was of great stature (metaphorically speaking) in the city of Minavre. The others copied Yugi quickly. "Now, now, there isn't any need for those formalities, not to a simple servant like me. Right this way."

The old man led them through the labyrinthine passages of the palace. "As you can see, our home has lately fallen into decay," he said as they walked on. "It is the work of the evil magician, the thief who has stolen our secrets. The pharaoh will explain everything to you in full."

He brought them to a great set of doors covered in inscriptions. It looked like a series of pictures, pictures that must have had some meaning, Yugi thought, though he could not read them. The man began to instruct them on etiquette, "Now, listen very carefully, for the pharaoh does not like to be addressed casually. You will speak only when spoken to. You will not call him by his name, but by honorific titles. You will stand unless expressly instructed to sit. And whatever you do, do not bring up the subject of his family." Yugi nodded.

The man sighed. "Well, I think that's everything very important. The pharaoh wishes to see you as soon as possible. Good luck!" He opened the doors with a snap of his fingers and pushed the gang inside. The doors shut behind them.

A figure covered in a dark cloak stood at the edge of a balcony, looking down at the ruins below. "My lord?" Yugi asked quietly. The figure turned around. Though they could not see his eyes, two bright red flashes appeared in the shadow of his hood for a second and disappeared. "W-we were told that, um, you wanted to see us."

The figure nodded and took off his cloak. Yugi gasped. King Atem looked almost exactly like him! The flamboyant hair, the purple eyes, the short stature—it was all the same. He had a dark tan on his skin, though, and his jaw was sharper than Yugi's.

Yugi and the others quickly kneeled before him. The king smiled and extended his hand, bidding them to rise to their feet. "As you can see, I am king of no kingdom anymore," he said. He voice was deep and quietly commanding. "There is no longer any need for formalities."

Tea cleared her throat nervously. "Excuse me, Your High-" She stopped. "Uh, Your Majesty," she continued, "why… why are you here?"

Atem laughed. "It is a sad story, a testament to the true weakness of Minavre." Growing more somber, he sank into a nearby chair and sighed. "I have had many months to reflect on the cause of my defeat, and I have begun to put the pieces together. This all began many years ago, when I was just a boy and my father was king.

"My father had gotten word about a magician that was experimenting in the illegal arts of magic. He had the magician exiled from the kingdom, but from that day on my father was never the same. He would do and say things that I would have never imagined… He was not himself. About a year later, he died, leaving me to succeed him to the throne. I was able to rectify many of his mistakes in time, but I never discovered the reason for his madness.

"A few months ago, we were conducting our annual screening for those with magical powers. An adolescent came in with white hair and pale skin. He had a gift for the magics, but he also had a tendency for mischief and violent acts. We tried to guide him, but eventually we learned that he, too, had been using illegal spells. He was exiled, and it was from that day on that these horrors began.

"Citizens of Minavre began to die at record speeds, until only the royal family was left in the entire town. Seeing the city deserted, we prepared to leave and warn the rest of the populace, but a dark spell had been cast on our town. We were unable to leave, and the wall prevented anyone but a citizen from entering. We had no ability to escape, so we have waited here while our magicians have tried counter-spell after counter-spell on the barrier. The magician has an extremely powerful magical energy source at his disposal, one so powerful that even my spells are not able to withstand it."

Atem peered at Yugi, and Yugi fidgeted under his gaze. Atem's eyes seemed to peer into his very soul, analyzing him for weaknesses and reading his innermost thoughts. Yugi began to think that Atem knew everything about his family and why he was there. _"Yes, I can read your thoughts, little one," _a voice said in his head. _"And I know why you have come. But what interests me most is how you came across that necklace of yours…"_

"My mother gave it to me," Yugi answered aloud. His friends stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Yes, but apparently she found it on you, correct?" Atem wondered, rising from his chair. "But how could a child escape from Minavre, unchecked, and travel all the way to Pelionath on his own?"

"D-don't ask me, Your Highness, I don't remember!" Yugi stammered. "I swear, I don't remember anything about my past before I met my family…"

Atem shrugged. "I understand," he replied casually. "But it does seem interesting, doesn't it? Now," he said, "I believe that you all have requests of me. Mind, I may or may not be able to fulfill these requests in my current condition."

Tea, naturally, was the most apprehensive in the presence of Atem. Since it was indeed a human king's orders that had caused her to be captured, she did not want to risk offending Atem when the consequences of her insolence could be so horrible. "Your Majesty, I wanted to ask that you… that you stop polluting the Great River," she said quietly. "I-I know it wasn't your fault..."

"It must be because of the dark cloud above the sun," Atem muttered. "I assure you, Tea, that it will be one of my first priorities when we leave this realm."

"We just came along with Yug' here 'cause we knew he could use some help," Joey explained.

Atem nodded. "Yugi, you know that I would help you as well, but I am afraid that I cannot fulfill your request at this moment either. You should be able to leave, as you were not in Minavre when the spell was cast, but I… I will have to wait a little longer."

They bowed once again and turned to leave. Yugi felt as though he were going to cry. How many of his family members would get sick and die before the king was able to leave the palace? How many forest fairies would be poisoned before the cloud dissipated? And how could little Yugi think that he could do anything about it?

"_Don't despair, little one, for you _could _do something about it," _Atem said telepathically. _"You could track down the white-haired magician in my stead." _Yugi turned around and looked at him.

"Before you go, stay here for a night," Atem continued aloud, speaking to Yugi as well as to his friends. "You must be tired from your long journey. Rest, eat, and then you can leave."

"_But I would like to speak with you later – alone."_

Yugi and the others were led by the old man, Shimon, to the guest bedrooms. Dust flew into the air as the maids shook out the sheets and remade the beds.

After a few minutes, dinner was brought in. It was a meager meal by the palace's standards, but to Yugi it was a feast. An entire roasted pig, seasoned potatoes, bread, and fresh grapes covered a table bigger than Yugi's entire room. Even a small bowl of dirt and a pitcher of water were brought in for Tea. Joey and Tristan immediately tore into the food, and Yugi, too, grabbed a generous portion of everything and began to taste it all. Each flavor was excitingly new, but had a strangely familiar taste. But how could that be? These delicacies were far too expensive for his family.

Soon everyone fell asleep but Yugi, who was lying in bed with his eyes shut but his mind wide awake. The king wanted to talk to him personally, but when?

"_If you are available, now would be fine," _Atem answered immediately. _"Do you remember the way to my room?"_

"_Yes," _Yugi thought, wondering in the back of his mind if Atem would be able to hear him.

"_Good. I will see you soon." _Yugi got out of bed and walked into the hallway. The fact that Atem could and would read his mind at any time was disconcerting, at best. And even though he did not seem to abuse his power, Atem seemed to keep a bit of a filter on the words in Yugi's mind so that he could respond whenever Yugi needed something.

Maybe all these months trapped inside a mansion with his magicians and his servants had made him forget what it meant to be a regular person. Yugi wasn't thinking about anything he shouldn't have, but it was still a violation of his privacy for the pharaoh to be searching his mind every few minutes.

"_You never did like that…" _a brief whisper echoed in his head. Yugi stopped right in front of Atem's door. What was he talking about? Had they met before?


	6. A Good Friend and a Kind Master

Now, we finally get to continue the story after fixing last month's unfortunate mishap. Forth! The show must go on!

"Come in, come in," Atem instructed as Yugi raised his hand to knock on Atem's bedroom door. Yugi opened the door hesitantly and looked inside. The king had put his cloak back on, as the darkness had brought a wave of cold with it. Other than that, nothing had changed. Everything seemed to be in exactly the same place as when Yugi had left earlier that day.

Atem patted the couch beside him, beckoning Yugi to sit down next to him. Yugi obeyed him, while Atem rose from his seat. Immediately, Yugi stood up again. Atem turned around and smirked at him. "Sit, please, and don't worry about treating me like a pharaoh while we are here. Treat me as you would a friend, for I will speak to you as no more than one."

He poured a foamy, dark substance from a pitcher into two glasses. "Now," he said, handing one of the drinks to Yugi, "I am sure that you would like to know the specifics of your mission."

Yugi took a sip of the liquid and gagged silently. Though he tried not to offend the pharaoh, the drink in his mouth had to be the sharpest and bitterest thing he had ever tasted. How could anyone stand to swallow it? He pretended to brush his mouth as he choked the liquid down with a pained expression. Nevertheless, the pharaoh saw right through him.

"A little strong for you?" Atem asked. He rose again – Yugi had to resist the urge to imitate him – and this time handed Yugi a glass of water. "It's called beer. You haven't had it before, have you?"

Yugi shook his head. "Thank you for all of this," he said, staring down at the clean water in his hand. "You've given me and my friends way more than we could ever ask since we've arrived."

"To be honest, I have not even given you a portion of the welcome I should have," Atem replied, sighing. "My city and my palace have fallen into decay. There was a time that you could have feasted on foods whose names you could not pronounce. There was a time that you each would have slept in your own rooms, each one decorated with a hundred roses. There was a time when I would have acted like a pharaoh… a time when I was a pharaoh."

"No… no, it's really all right," Yugi said uncertainly. "My friends and I… we come from simple backgrounds. We wouldn't have really wanted any of that. Your Majesty, I have clean water, fresh bread, and a soft place to sleep here. This is more than I ever wanted."

"You are as kind as ever, Yugi," Atem replied.

"Huh?" Yugi asked. Atem shook his head. Yugi took it as a result of his telepathy.

"Forgive me, little one," Atem requested. "I was being weak, wallowing in sorrow, and that is not my job. As pharaoh, it is my duty to be strong for my people, no matter how hopeless our situation may seem. And as I am not able to correct this problem myself, I will need your help."

"Of course," Yugi said. "But I don't know where to start. You said that a white-haired magician is using illegal magic to cause the dark cloud, which is infecting the rain."

"And that poisoned rain is the cause of the famine," Atem interjected.

"How am I even going to find him?" Yugi asked desperately. "And when I find him, what makes you think that I'll be able to stop him? He's a magician, a magician so powerful that he was able to cast a curse over all of Ishravitas, and I… I'm just a kid."

"Bakura is indeed a gifted spellcaster, but I believe that the majority of his power comes from his brother," Atem replied. "Ryou Bakura was born with such potent magical ability that he was no longer classified as human. The people in his province called him a crystal elf and sent him to live with his own kind."

"What's a crystal elf?" Yugi asked. He had known that there were many humanoid species besides humans in Ishravitas, but he had heard of very few of them. Rumors spread through the markets at trading time, but it was difficult to tell what was fact and what was fairy tale. Yugi had even heard that the pharaoh himself was not human.

"A crystal elf is, simply put, a human with an immensely high level of spiritual energy," Atem replied. "They are very rare, especially when they are born to normal citizens. Bakura – and here I refer to the thief Bakura – envied his brother, Ryou. After years of study, he must have tried to enter the crystal elves' sanctuary under the pretense of seeing his brother again. When Ryou and Bakura were alone, Bakura must have stolen away with Ryou."

"Why didn't Ryou try to stop him, if he was so powerful?" Yugi wondered.

Atem was quiet for a moment. "Ryou loves his brother. I don't think Ryou would ever hurt Bakura, no matter what Bakura does." He sighed. "Bakura managed to siphon Ryou's incredible energy into a store of magical power. And now, I believe, Bakura is using Ryou's energy to fuel his dark magic."

"So you're saying that the only way to stop Bakura is to free Ryou?" Yugi asked. "But what will prevent him from doing the same thing again?"

"We will. Don't think that Bakura could face us directly and win. He gets his victories by deceit and trickery. Head on, any of us could out-cast him."

"You too, Your Majesty?"

Atem grinned devilishly at him. "I can hold my own," he replied slyly. "But don't you worry about that. The important thing for you is getting to Bakura's fortress." Atem took a map out of the chest by their feet and spread it out over his and Yugi's lap. It showed the wide-reaching kingdom of Ishravitas.

"Here we are," Atem began, pointing to a large city called Minavre in the very center of the map. Yugi noticed that the picture was as decayed and crumbled as the real city.

"It's magic!" he exclaimed, his eyes bright with a childish excitement.

Atem chuckled. "You catch on quickly, Yugi. And you haven't even seen the extent of its power." He tapped his finger on the parchment just north of Minavre, and immediately the ink on the paper changed. The map had suddenly zoomed in. "Bakura's castle lies in the Vale of Tears, located at the base of the Dark Mountains at the northernmost boundary of my kingdom. Take the Pass of Bright Stars and follow it diligently north. From that point, I cannot guide you."

Atem handed the map to Yugi. "You will need it more than I will. I only hope that it will be of good use to you," he said.

"It seems like it's so far… I hope that I won't disappoint you," Yugi said softly.

Atem pointed to a very small town at the southwestern corner of the map. "Do you see this?" Atem asked him. "This is why you came. This is what you're fighting for. This town, these people, and all the others in your position… remember them."

Yugi looked down on the little town of Pelionath for what seemed to be a long time. Then he looked back up, a fire of determination in his eyes. "I'll do it, no matter what it takes," he declared. "For my family."

A fleeting look of sadness flashed over Atem's face, and his eyes glowed blood red. "Excellent," he said nevertheless. "Then we will begin preparations tomorrow. For now, I suggest that you get a good night's sleep and get ready for your long journey."

Yugi bowed respectfully and showed himself out. Atem turned and stepped back onto the balcony. "I'll miss you," Atem whispered.

* * *

An enormous amount of food had been given to them for the road ahead, along with two swords for Joey and Tristan and a bow for Yugi. Yugi had also been supplied with some decent clothing, since it was cold in the Vale of Tears. His ragged tunic had been replaced, and he had been given trousers and a pair of shoes. He felt warmer and more well-fed than he ever had in his life.

"Good luck, Yugi!" the magician's apprentice, Mana, exclaimed. "Good luck, everybody!"

"Goodbye, my friends. May you be granted a safe and successful journey," Atem said. He extended his hand, and each of the gang shook it in turn.

They were escorted by the chief seer, Isis, to the front gate. "Lady Isis," Yugi said, "please tell me the truth." She looked down at him. "Is King Atem human or not?" he asked, feeling a bit foolish.

"He is not," Isis replied shortly. "No member of the royal family is. They are above us, unexplored creatures, wiser and more powerful than any human. Atem, too, bears the red eyes of his species."

Yugi began to worry. If Atem wasn't human, then how was he able to truly understand the needs of humans? Would he care if one of these apparently lesser beings was in pain? Isis sensed his concern.

"Though friendship between Royals and humans is frowned upon, our lord Atem has defied those standards. He cares greatly about our kind, human or not," she assured him. "He is a good friend and a kind master."

During their conversation, the others had gone quite ahead of him. "Hey, Yug'! Hurry it up!" Joey yelled.

Yugi waved goodbye to Isis and ran over to his friends. He turned the pendant in the slot in the gate and it disintegrated before them. They walked through and looked behind them as the shining façade replaced the true Minavre. Many dangers lay between them and their prize… but what they were fighting for was well worth it.


	7. A Fierce Knight and Jousting Match

"The map says that the only way to cross the B'tartan River is to cross the B'tartan Bridge," Yugi said, peering closely at his new magic map. "I guess that's kind of obvious."

They had walked for the last two days, moving ever northward. The wide, deep, rushing river in front of them was the first real obstacle they had encountered in their journey. The road was still calm in the presence of Minavre, even though the city had fallen into decay.

"Ya couldn't have told us before we came all da way here, Yug'?" Joey asked, rubbing his head in frustration. "You've been lookin' at that map all day long!"

"Sorry, guys," Yugi apologized. "I just never realized how big Ishravitas really was… There are all sorts of cities on this map that I've never ever heard of. I wasn't really focusing on the river while I was looking at them."

"Don't worry, dude, it's understandable," Tristan said. "Besides, the river's kinda nice, isn't it?" He lay down on the grass and rested his hands behind his head. "It's not as good as the palace, but it's better than mossy cobblestone."

Tea looked down at the water sadly. She didn't dare put her feet into the stream, for she knew that it was poisoned, just like the rest of the water in Ishravitas. "The grass…" she said softly. "The grass is crying."

And indeed, the blades of grass at the riverbed were bent over with pollution, as if hanging their heads in sadness. Small drops of dew dripped from their tips. "I think it knows that it's going to die," Tea continued. They stared at that grass, remembering why they had come.

"Let's go," Yugi said, and began walking east towards the morning sun, following the river to its only bridge. They traveled for many hours, until the morning sun had aged and moved behind them. Near sunset, they approached a broad and sturdy bridge made of stone. Dozens of disfigured shapes covered it.

"I wonder what they're doing," Tristan said as they walked up. Yugi observed by the bright and varying color of their clothes and skin that they must not have been human.

"Doesn't it seem like they're watching something?" Tea observed. She was right – all of the creatures seemed to be circled around the center of the bridge. Sounds of clashing metal and fierce roars echoed through the plains around them, mixed with the cheers and the cat calls of the monstrous onlookers.

Suddenly, a man with a large staff and green robes walked up to them. "Do you think that you can cross the bridge without having to pass the test, humans?" He saw Tea. "And fairy, it seems."

"What test is this?" Tristan asked. "Does this have anything to do with your guys' little show over here?"

The green-robed man bared his teeth at Tristan in anger. "How dare you call this a show!? This is a tournament, a test of strength!"

"A tournament?" Yugi asked. "Wait… You're Duel Monsters!" he exclaimed. "I've heard stories of you since I was a kid! I can't believe I didn't recognize you earlier. You're Giltia the Knight, three time champion of the five-star monster finals!"

Giltia smiled against his will. However, that smile quickly faded. "I see that news of our tournaments has reached your human ears. Yet I believe that coming to see our training personally was not your reason for coming here. Tell me, what is it that you want?"

"We just want to cross the bridge, Sir Giltia," Yugi replied.

"Such privileges are not allowed to the untried. One of you will need to defeat one of us before we can let you go to the other side," said Giltia. Yugi frowned. Duel Monsters were infinitely more powerful than humans; they would never be able to win in a one-on-one battle.

"Ah, I can take 'em!" Joey declared, pumping his fist in the air and grinning madly. "Who wants some?"

Giltia looked Joey up and down coldly. "If you wish, you may fight Mystical Elf." A blue-skinned, green-clad woman floated up to them, smiling serenely at them. "Mystical Elf, this human wishes to duel you," Giltia said to her.

Joey and Tristan gaped at the woman, who bowed respectfully. "I'm not gonna fight a woman!" Joey said. "That's dishonorable!"

"I think Mystical Elf can handle herself, Joey," Yugi disagreed softly. Even though Mystical Elf _was _a female monster, and she _did _look rather frail, Yugi knew that Joey wouldn't be able to stand a chance. However, Yugi also knew that he wouldn't be able to convince Joey of that until he experienced it himself.

A winged fairy held up a round one sign. "Match twenty-seven – Joey Wheeler versus Magical Elf. Fight!" She flew off quickly, leaving Joey and Magical Elf to their duel.

Joey raised his clenched fists and spread his feet apart in a battle stance. He would go easy on this elf, Joey decided, and try not to hurt her too badly. He rushed forward, prepared to pull any punches, and the Mystical Elf floated completely still, clasping her hands before her in a stance of ease.

Joey swung at her stomach, hating that he had to fight a female, but she flew into the air and dodged him at inhuman speeds. She landed behind him lightly, making no sound. Joey turned around, raising his leg for a spinning kick, and she lifted up her hand and held his foot in midair. She lifted his leg until it was parallel to the rest of his body – Joey let out a squeak of pain – and then, discreetly, she used her other hand to grasp the collar of his shirt and pull him in one swift motion to the ground.

The fairy flew back into the ring, holding a round two sign. "Ready!" she yelled. Joey picked himself off the ground and returned to his corner, brushing the dirt off his face. She was tougher than he thought. He wouldn't go quite so easy on her next time. "Fight!"

Joey chose to let the elf make the first move this round. Joey waited, holding an offensive stance, until the Mystical Elf rushed forward so quickly that she was only a colorful blur in Joey's eyes. He spun blindly and punched the air, and was met with a forceful palm strike to the forehead. Joey fell to the ground, his world spinning before him, and he realized to his horror that the Mystical Elf was actually going easy on _him_.

She placed a slipper-covered foot on his back, keeping him on the ground. The fairy flew forward and began to count to ten. Joey struggled to get back up, but the Mystical Elf's strength did not diminish. Joey was defeated at the end of round two, and he was sure that he would have been beaten in the first minute if Mystical Elf had used her full strength.

"How are we supposed to cross the bridge if none of us are powerful enough to defeat the Duel Monsters?" Tea asked. "Yugi, you said that there was no other way over the river, didn't you?"

Yugi shook his head. "Nothing on this map. But there has to be some way that we can cross." He turned to Giltia. "Please, this is very important! Isn't there some way that you can… bend the rules, or something?" Meanwhile, Tristan had rushed into the ring to free Joey from Mystical Elf before the next match started.

"Bend the rules?" Giltia repeated, tinctures of disgust in his voice. "It is impossible, no matter how grave your situation may be."

"Sir Giltia, please, we need to cross, we have to!" Yugi begged. "But we're not strong enough to fight you. We're just humans!"

Giltia sighed. He seemed to feel for their plight, but couldn't do anything about it. "There is a way," he admitted. "But it is frowned upon by most of our people."

"There are more things at stake her than just our reputations, dude," Tristan argued. "Just tell us what it is, and we'll work out our morals for ourselves."

"There is a person who lives near here. We call him the Deckmaster," Giltia explained. "He was once a servant of the pharaoh, but his greed and envy drove him from the palace to pursue a more… profitable career. Now he uses the magical arts to trap our souls within small wooden tablets, tablets he calls cards. He sells these cards to humans who want to cross the bridge but do not have the strength to do so. I believe another human passed by here a few months ago, carrying one of the Deckmaster's cards."

"Another human?" Yugi asked. It couldn't be… or could it?

"Yes," Giltia replied. "He was white as snow, skin and hair alike, and he toted a large wagon with him. What that wagon contained, I do not know, for it was covered with burlap."

"Bakura," Joey breathed. "That thief did what we're going to do."

"No," Yugi said shortly. "We'll just ask the Deckmaster to release the Duel Monster's spirit after we come back. Then we'll be buying his freedom, not making him more of a slave."

"We would be most grateful if you will keep your word," Giltia said. He nodded at Yugi and left to watch the rest of the tournament, where Gaia the Fierce Knight and Mystic Horseman were engaged in a jousting match.

Yugi opened up his map and zoomed in on the south riverbank. Yugi saw a small house with the title of "Deckmaster's cottage" over it. "I guess that's it," Yugi said. "We just have to walk a little farther east."

"Wait," Tea interrupted. "How are we supposed to pay him? We don't have any money."

"I guess we'll hafta give him somethin' else he wants," Joey said thoughtfully. "But it'll be all right. I'm sure King Atem gives refunds."


	8. Wooden Cards and a King's Brother

Seto Kaiba, a six-feet-tall, brown-haired, blue-eyed businessman, poured scrupulously over Pegasus's new creation. It was little more than a hand-sized wooden tablet that had been engraved with the picture of a terrible monster, but it was important for the carving to be nearly perfect for the soul-binding spell to work.

Finding that he and his brother, Mokuba, lacked the artistic ability to carve an accurate representation of a Duel Monster on wood, Seto had reluctantly hired the artist Maximillion Pegasus to do his carving for him. Pegasus's payment was not extravagant, but Seto found him incredibly annoying, as he called Seto and Mokuba "Kaiba-boy" and tended to speak in an aggravatingly demeaning tone to both of them.

"Well, Kaiba-boy?" Pegasus wondered. "Was my work good enough for you, or shall I try again?" This sniveling sycophancy was all an act. Pegasus firmly believed that he was smarter, handsomer, and far more talented than either of the Kaiba brothers, even though Seto was officially classified as a genius.

"Cut the crap, Pegasus," Seto replied coldly. "You and I both know that you would bet your art license on the quality of your work."

"Oh, shall I take that as a complement? It's so hard to tell with you," Pegasus simpered.

Seto sneered at him. "It's good enough… for today. Now get back to work! You've got three more orders to fill."

"All work and no play, hm, Kaiba-boy?" Pegasus asked. "Well, I'd best do as I'm told. You are the boss, after all."

Seto sighed in relief as Pegasus left the room. He had been like that day in and day out for the last month. Sooner or later, Seto would have to fire Pegasus just because he was the most irritating employee he had suffered to commission.

A bright eyed, black-haired boy bounced into Seto's room. "Hey, big brother," he said. "We got a customer asking to see you. He looks kind of like the king, actually."

"Thank you, Mokuba," Seto replied quietly. Mokuba left with a soft click of the door, and Seto stood up and walked toward the entrance. Hopefully the customer wouldn't ask for one of the Duel Monsters that Pegasus was currently working on. It would be another week before it was finished.

Seto opened up the door and saw a diminutive young boy standing their, holding a map and talking to his friends, who were standing on the green turf behind him. Immediately he turned back around to face Seto.

"Hi," he said. "Are you the Deckmaster?"

"Yeah," Seto said. "And I assume that you're here to buy a card."

"That's right," the boy said. Seto looked at him for a while.

"So what do you want?" Seto asked finally, after a long and uncomfortable interval of silence. The boy furrowed his brow in confusion. "What monster card do you want?" Seto rectified.

"Oh! Oh, well, I didn't really have any idea of a Duel Monster that I wanted…" the boy muttered. Seto was growing impatient. Did the kid have any idea what he was dealing with? "There was one that I kind of like… Do you have the Silent Magician?" he asked.

"Certainly," Seto said, and invited him and his friends into the waiting room. "What level did you want?"

"Um… what?" Yugi asked.

Seto sighed in frustration. "Silent Magician is one of the few monsters that can be classified as having levels. We have levels zero through ten. Silent Magician will grow in strength as you duel with him, but you can buy the level ten now, if you can afford it." He looked Yugi up and down. "Which I doubt."

"So da level zero would be da cheapest, right?" a blonde, ragged-looking man asked. He seemed even more stupid than the others.

"Naturally," Seto replied.

"And how much would that cheaper Silent Magician cost, exactly?" the boy asked. He seemed nervous, and Seto knew for certain that he was poor.

"Look, this isn't the place for someone on a budget to be. I have valuable merchandize and I expect it to be sold for a substantial amount. If you don't have three hundred minas or more, then the Silent Magician Level Zero stays here, and you all can go home," Seto said.

The boy frowned deeply. "Please, sir, we need to get across that bridge. If there's anything of value that you will accept, please take it as our payment."

Seto grimaced. This was a waste of his time. "Well, show me anything that you think I'll care about."

The girl unclasped her necklace with a crystal flower attached to it. It was fairy-made, and in good condition, but made with cheap synth-crystal. It was worth little. The blonde fuddled in his pocket and held out some silver spoons. "Is this all you can give me?" Seto asked incredulously. "A fairy necklace and some spoons!? Don't waste my time!"

The young boy, swallowing hard, folded up the map he was still holding and handed it to Seto. "It's magic," he explained, "It shows any changes to the landscape as soon as they happen. It was made by the royal magician's court, I think, and it used to be in King Atem's own possession."

Seto snatched the map from Yugi's hand and examined it thoroughly. The boy must have been right – no ordinary map would be able to zoom in on and out of objects at the lightest touch. And Seto could sense the traces of royal magical energy, for it had the same touches of special power as his own. This was definitely worth something. Seto wasn't going to tell the boy, but this map could pay for five-thousand minas' worth of Silent Magician Level Zeros.

"Yes… I think this will cover it," Seto said after a moment, tucking the map into the inside pocket of his jacket. "I'll get your card. Just a moment." Seto walked into his store room and searched under "S" until he found the monster he was looking for. He walked back into the waiting room and handed the wooden card to the boy.

Each of the customers had gotten up to leave when the boy suddenly stopped. "Sir… is there any way that we could release the spirit of the Silent Magician after we were finished with him?"

Seto turned and stared at him. "Why would you want to do that?"

"It… it really doesn't seem right to me that we're basically enslaving these Duel Monsters," the boy replied. "If there is any way that we can do it, we'd really like to know."

Seto scoffed. "There's a way that you could return the Silent Magician to flesh and bone, but I don't think any of you are talented enough in magic to pull it off."

"Then just give us the instructions anyway," the boy insisted. "I think that I know someone who can do it."

Seto skeptically wrote down the directions on a piece of paper and handed it to the boy. He nodded in thanks and then departed at last, leaving Seto to deal once more with Pegasus.

* * *

"Who do you think will release him, Yugi?" Tea asked as they began to walk back to the B'tartan Bridge. "One of the magicians at the palace, or maybe even King Atem himself, huh?"

Yugi blushed. "She's right, Yug'," Joey agreed. Tea looked a little surprised at his acknowledgment. "You two seemed pretty tight when we left." Yugi peered at him. "I mean, when he looks at ya, it's kinda like when Tristan looks at me. It's like he's been friends with you for a long time or somethin'."

Yugi looked down at the ground. "I know what you mean," he said. "Maybe it has to do with the fact that he can read my thoughts, but he talks at if we were childhood buddies or something."

"Hey, maybe you were!" Tristan said suddenly. "You told us that your mom found that pendant from Minavre on you when you were a kid, right? The pharaoh could have known you when you used to live there!"

"And look at how alike you two look," Tea said. "You could even be…"

"Brothers?" Yugi laughed shortly. "Guys, I admit that everything that's going on is a little strange, but I could hardly be part of the royal family. It's not as if they'd let their youngest son just wander off all the way to Pelionath. If I was a—a prince or something, I probably wouldn't have even been able to get through the front gate undetected."

"Wouldn't it be cool, though?" Tristan wondered, staring off into the sky. "A prince that turns amnesiac and becomes one of the poorest people in Ishravitas meets up with his brother on a quest to save the world. Now there's a story, huh?"

Yugi smiled. "It would be nice to have somewhere to belong… I never looked like any of my family, so I always felt kind of… separate."

"Well, we all can dream, can't we?" Joey asked. He held his sword and swished it through the air, causing everyone else to jump back. "When I was a kid, I used ta imagine that I was one o' those brave knights you always here about, out there ridin' dragons and wrestlin' bears with their bare hands. I always wanted ta be one o' them…" Joey laughed sheepishly. "But I couldn't even tackle Mystical Elf. Some knight, huh?"

"Joey…" Tea began. "I think you'd make a great knight. Mystical Elf was way more powerful than she looked, and besides, Duel Monsters train all the time, and you have other, more important things to worry about. You aren't perfect, and I wouldn't suggest that you try and ride a dragon any time soon, but every knight started out as nothing but a page, and… and you're doing a very good job." It seemed as though those last few words had cost her a great deal of effort, so Yugi admired her all the more for saying them.

Joey brightened immediately and sheathed his sword, adopting a noble expression that looked odd on his cheerful face. But Tea slapped him on the back of the head, and Tristan pushed him forward. "Hurry up, Joe', we wanna cross the bridge before sunset, don't we?" Tristan asked.

Yugi hurried after them and glanced toward the reddening (1) sun. As it darkened, it began to remind him of the fiery, bloody color that Atem's eyes turned occasionally. Could it really be possible for him and Yugi to be brothers? And if so, what did that mean for Yugi's life, Yugi's home, and Yugi's family? The thoughts were too much to deal with now; Yugi decided to focus on the task at hand – releasing the Silent Magician and crossing the B'tartan Bridge.

* * *

(1) This line was originally intended to be "the pinkening sun", but APPARENTLY "pinkening" isn't a word! Whtcht! Why is "reddening" a word while "pinkening" is not? I protest!


	9. Family of the Heart and a Stranger

The sun was setting too quickly for the gang to arrive at the bridge before nightfall

The sun was setting too quickly for the gang to arrive at the bridge before nightfall. Instead, they camped near the forest line and lit a large fire for Joey and Tristan, who were used to warm climes and hot and sweaty taverns.

They gave all of the bread and the raisins to Yugi, who found those provisions to be his favorites. Tea shoved her feet into the ground and Yugi dutifully poured some water into the dirt beneath her. Tea decided to remain conscious while she ate this time.

"Hey, Yugi," she said, "did you ever think to ask the Deckmaster how to actually use the Silent Magician card?"

Yugi took the small wooden tablet out of his pocket and showed her one of the sides. "It says on the card that I need to put a few drops of blood on the wood and then call out his name," he said. Tea frowned at him.

"I can't read," Tea said.

Joey looked down. "Neither can I." Tristan remained silent.

Yugi looked around at all of them. "Am I… the only one here who can read?"

"Looks like it," Tristan said. "Where'd you learn, anyway? I figured a back-water kid like you would be the dumbest of all of us. No offense."

"A librarian in town taught me… sometimes I'd go with my mom into the city. She took orders for her seamstress work there," Yugi said. "The librarian liked me, I guess, so whenever I went into the library she talked to me and showed me how a few characters sounded."

"I never really had someone like that," Joey said softly. "My mom… well, she left when I was little, and my dad… He wasn't that kinda person, you know? He spent more time in da taverns than da library."

Yugi grimaced. He couldn't even handle one sip of beer – how could someone else drink it all the time? "My mom and dad didn't have the time to hang out with me and teach me how to read," Tristan said. "They were traveling merchants, and they didn't want to go through the trouble of taking me with them all the time, I guess, so I just lived at the crystal factory where I worked for room and board."

"I guess that none of us has a perfect family, huh?" Yugi said. "I don't have any idea who my real parents are, Joey's parents split up, Tristan's parents are gone all the time, and Tea doesn't have parents at all."

"Well, maybe…" Tea stopped.

"Go on," Yugi encouraged.

"I don't know if you'll think this is silly, but… why don't we be each other's family?" she said. "You guys have grown on me after traveling with you for so long, so… I mean, since we're all out here by ourselves."

"You know, Tea, I kinda like that," Tristan agreed. He turned to Joey and extended his hand. "Whaddya say, bro?" Joey took his hand and shook it in response.

Yugi smiled and nodded happily. "Yeah!" And even though they were a back-water kid, a son of a drunkard, a factory worker, and a fairy, they could be family in their hearts, where it really mattered.

* * *

Yugi approached Giltia on the B'tartan Bridge. "Sir, I think we'd like to duel one more time," he said.

Giltia saw the look in Yugi's eyes and the card in his hand. "Who will be representing you?" he asked. His voice sounded a bit cold.

Yugi held up the card for Giltia to see. "Silent Magician, level zero."

Giltia nodded and stepped out into the middle of the battleground. "A new match commences! Silent Magician, level zero, will battle the Mammoth Graveyard!" A great skeletal mammoth parted the diverse crowd with a few swipes of his tusks and roared with an unearthly voice. Yugi gulped as he saw the size of it. Why couldn't he duel Mystical Elf again?

He bit his thumb until blood dribbled from it, and he let the liquid life drip onto the surface of the wooden tablet. The card flashed with light, and a semi-corporeal figure emerged from it, like a genie from a magic lamp. The Silent Magician then formed from the bright mist, dressed in blue and white robes.

The magician looked up at his enemy and spun back around to Yugi, his eyes wide. "I think he's angry at ya, Yug'," Joey whispered into Yugi's ear.

"I'm sure you can do it, Silent Magician. I know you're only level zero now, but you'll grow stronger with practice!" Yugi said encouragingly. The Silent Magician gave him a fierce glare, but he walked out onto the field anyway.

"Why isn't he saying anything?" Tristan wondered.

Tea sighed and held her head. "He's the _Silent _Magician, remember?" Tristan made an "oh" face and kept silent himself.

The match began. The Mammoth Graveyard roared ferociously again and charged the Silent Magician. Silent Magician dodged swiftly to the side and released an arc of light magic with his staff. Then he ran to the other end of the field and waited for Mammoth Graveyard to charge again. Just like Silent Magician expected, the Mammoth Graveyard bellowed in anger and rushed at him. Again, Silent Magician darted to the side and slashed the air with his magic. Mammoth Graveyard stumbled, shrieking in pain as its legs gave out underneath it and it collapsed.

The winged fairy from before flew into the ring and counted to ten. Mammoth Graveyard did not rise.

Suddenly, the Silent Magician glowed with a blue light. Yugi looked down at his card in confusion and found that Silent Magician Level Zero had become Silent Magician Level One. Silent Magician, more experienced and more powerful, turned back around to Yugi and winked.

"Great job, Silent Magician," Yugi said. Silent Magician transformed into the glowing cloud and returned to his card.

Giltia walked up to them and sighed. "You two are free to pass," he said. "You have found a way to release the Silent Magician, I hope?"

"I think so, but we won't be able to do it right now," Yugi replied. "Soon, I promise."

Giltia nodded to them, and the gang passed over the river after a day's delay. They walked for a few hours until lunch time, when Joey and Tristan's stomachs were rumbling with hunger.

Yugi sat down onto the grass, which was growing sparser as the climate grew rapidly colder. "Guys, we have to be careful with how much we eat. We don't have that much food," he said, looking down at their supplies.

"Come on, Yug'," Joey pleaded. "We just have another week before we get ta Bakura, and then we'll be able ta get back ta da castle! So don't be so worried! We'll have plenty enough food ta last us, right?"

Yugi sighed. "I don't know, Joey. If only I knew where we could get food here…"

Suddenly, a large, spherical man skipped across the rocky field in front of them, singing to himself. He seemed to be in a very pleasant mood, and the gang soon found out why – he was carrying an entire net full of silver fish.

Joey and Tristan took off after him immediately. "Hey, save some for us!" they bellowed.

The man yelled and took off at full speed. "Ah! Someone save Bobasa from these angry thieves!" he screamed. Yugi and Tea followed the three men as quickly as they could, and they ran after Bobasa all the way to a large building.

"Bobasa's isn't open yet!" Bobasa said, entering the building and slamming the door behind him.

Joey and Tristan began pounding on the door behind him. "Hey, open up!" they demanded. "We're starving here!"

"Do you have money to pay?" Bobasa inquired. "Bobasa's Eatery is not for free! If you want to eat, you will have to pay!"

"Well," Yugi interjected, "we don't have any money, but I'm sure that there's something that we'd be able to do for you in exchange for some food."

"Will you sing a song with me?" Bobasa asked suddenly.

"Uh…" Yugi stared at the door in front of him. "Sure, we can sing a song with you."

The door burst open, and the large and smiling Bobasa stood in front of them with four plates of steaming fish. "Then come in, come in, and eat your fill! Bobasa is happy to see you!"

Joey and Tristan immediately grabbed their plates and started wolfing the food down. Yugi took his a little more politely, but he wasn't about to pretend that he wasn't hungry too. He began to eat with his hands, while Tea respectfully declined.

They walked into the eatery and the delicious smell of fish cooked in dozens of different ways filled their nostrils. Joey shoved another large mouthful into his face and said, "So you'll let us eat whatever we want just for singing a song with you?"

Bobasa grabbed a large plate of food for himself and sat down with a thump on some pillows. "Bobasa is lonely here," he sighed. "No one comes by Bobasa's since the dark cloud came."

"Then how do you pay your rent?" Tea asked.

Bobasa laughed. "Bobasa doesn't pay rent! Bobasa owns this land! He built Bobasa's Eatery with his own hands." He looked at his hands and his expression saddened once again. "All sorts of people used to come to eat here. Duel Monsters, soldiers, Crystal Elves – they would all tell Bobasa funny stories and sing songs with me. But they never come here anymore. Not since the stranger came…"

"Stranger?" Yugi asked. "You must be talking about Bakura. He's the one that caused this famine in the first place."

"Famine? What famine is this? Bobasa has not heard of any famine," Bobasa said.

"He's right," Tristan said. "You seem to have plenty of food. How could a guy like you have bought food like this?"

"Bobasa didn't buy any fish! Bobasa found those fish in the deep pond about a mile from here," he explained. "They were just swimming in circles, round and round and round, so I stuck my net in and pulled them out!"

"That's strange," Tea observed. "Why would fish just swim to their deaths like that?"

"You were da ones talkin' about infected water and stuff," Joey said. "Maybe da poison in da water has made 'em cracked or somethin'."

"It is good we are eating them, then!" Bobasa said happily. "Bobasa wouldn't want to swim in circles all day long." They were silent for a while.

"Anyway, Bobasa, do you know where the stranger was headed to?" Yugi asked, breaking the uncomfortable quiet.

"He went north, toward the place Bobasa found the fish," Bobasa answered. "Travelers call it the 'Vale of Tears'. Sad name, yes?"

"The Vale of Tears…" Yugi muttered. "That's exactly where King Atem said Bakura's fortress was going to be. It must not be far from here…"

"Yugi?" Tea began. "Are you really ready to do this? I mean… we're not very powerful ourselves."

Yugi sighed. He knew how Tea felt – afraid and unsure. But they had little choice. "We'll find a way, Tea," he replied softly. "I'm sure we will."


	10. Songs and Silver Fish

Yugi and the others left Bobasa's Eatery the next morning. Yugi was still humming the short song Bobasa had requested of the gang as payment for their tab.

"_It's a song about Bobasa's name, you see?" Bobasa said cheerfully to them over another plate of fish. "Come now, sing with me! Bo is for Bordeaux wine," he sang._

"_Bo is for Bordeaux wine," the others sang after him._

"_Ba is for Bar and Grill!" _

"_Ba is for Bar and Grill!"_

_Bobasa grinned and bowed to them. "Thank you very much, everyone! Thank you for singing with me!"_

_Joey frowned at Bobasa as they walked out the door. "Wait, what about da 'Sa'? What's da 'Sa' for?"_

_Bobasa waved to them. "Sa is for sayonara! Come back soon!" He darted with surprising agility back into his diner, and the gang smiled after him. Hopefully he would have more company soon._

As they walked, a dark shadow loomed over them as the sun traveled behind the Dark Mountains. Whatever lay beyond those peaks, not even the most learned scholars knew about it. Legend said that the knowledge of the rest of the world had been entrusted to the royal family millennia ago. Yugi would have to ask King Atem if it was true when – if – he returned.

Yugi tried to quench the fear in his belly. Something deep inside him told him that this expedition was not going to end well. But he had to press on… He had to!

They had to walk for a much longer time than they had expected to even get in the vicinity of Bakura's castle. By the time the sun set, they had arrived at a lovely area near a pond, with drooping silver trees growing around it. Yugi looked into its waters as they made camp for the night. Just as Bobasa had said, there were dozens of fish swimming clockwise endlessly in the pool. They were glowing like the moonlight and white like marble. Yugi found himself staring endlessly at them. They were so beautiful.

"Yug', you comin' ta eat?" Joey asked, startling Yugi out of his stupor, "or are ya thinkin' about tryna catch one with your bare hands?"

"Sorry – sorry," Yugi said, shaking his head to clear his mind. Something about those fish had an almost hypnotizing effect on him. But to look at them one last time… No! Yugi told himself. He walked back over to the others and ate, but he was thinking about those fish the whole time.

Yugi could not sleep that night. After a few restless hours, he gave up and decided to look at those shining fish again. "Just one more time," Yugi muttered to himself as he stepped over the sleeping forms of his friends and made his way to the pool of nearly black water. "Just one more time."

He kneeled next to the water of the pond and gazed at the circling silver fish. He felt as if he had been there for a long time – or maybe it was only a minute – but he began to hear whispers. They were the softest sounds he had ever heard, but he wanted to hear them more and more. They were more musical than song, more delicate than the tinkling of crystal.

"_Brother, brother, dearest brother,"_ a thousand voices echoes in Yugi's mind, _"how fortunate we have been, that you have passed into our domain! We entreat you, do not shun us!"_

"No, never," Yugi answered aloud. Joey snorted and Yugi resolved to be more silent. _"Where do you come from?"_ he asked them again, this time using the telepathic methods he had used with King Atem.

"_We come from the lake before which you stand; yes, always we have abided in the lake,"_ they answered. _"Fear not the white-haired wizard, for his strength resides in his brother alone. Separate them and you will have freed this land from the evils it has seen this day and others."_

"_Yes, I know, but I do not know where to find Ryou," _Yugi replied despairingly. _"If Bakura has an entire castle, he would have easily detected us before we could get Ryou out."_

"_There is… a way…" _the fish whispered into his mind. _"There is… a tunnel…"_

"_A tunnel!" _Yugi exclaimed. _"Where is it? Where does it lead to?"_

"_Patience, young one," _they answered. They seemed to laugh. _"Bakura disturbed us with his dark magic. His evil knows no bounds. In order to form a route of safe passage from his lair, he invaded our homes and developed a tunnel leading from the depths of the lake to the darkest and lowest basement of his home. There does the crystal elf lay, drained of energy daily by Bakura's unjust envy."_

"_If we take this tunnel, will Bakura be able to detect us?" _Yugi asked.

The fish were silent for a moment. _"Bakura sees all things within his castle. Make haste. Seek us tomorrow at the rising of the sun. We shall protect you and your fellows from the depths of the water."_

"_I don't know how I can repay you," _Yugi said sheepishly.

The fish shrieked in his mind; Yugi winced at the unearthly sound. _"Free us from this despair, little one, we beg of you," _they pleaded. _"We feel the darkness in the sky, we feel the mourning in the earth, we feel the tear drops in the water. Save us from the pain, release us from this agony, for the whole earth weeps for what it once was."_

"_Of-of course!" _Yugi stammered, taken aback at their sudden outburst of emotion. _"Tomorrow morning, at sunrise, we'll meet you back here."_

"_Thank you, child… for your mercy…" _the fish whispered. And Yugi left them, still spinning, and went to sleep with heavy thoughts on his mind.

"Guys, guys! Come on, we have to get up, now!" Yugi entreated, shaking his friends awake one at a time.

"Whazzamatta?" Joey mumbled, cracking open one eye. "Geez, Yug', it ain't even sunrise yet…" He tried to roll back over, but Yugi wouldn't let him.

"Joey! Get up! We have to go!" Yugi shouted mercilessly in Joey's ear.

Tristan rubbed his eyes. "What's with the Chinese fire drill, man? You in some kind of a hurry?"

"Yeah, trust me, I'll explain everything to you later," Yugi said, and he hurried the three of them to the side of the lake. He bent next to the water and said, "We're ready to go."

"Who are you talkin' to?" Joey asked, looking around. "I don't see anybody."

"_Good, good, brother," _the fish said to Yugi. _"Now come with us; yes, jump into the lake and swim with us. We shall help you swim; we shall help you breathe."_

Yugi began to talk off his shoes. "We're going swimming," he said.

Tristan gaped at him. "You woke us up before dawn to go swimming in a freezing lake with a bunch of demented fishes? Did Bobasa's saké go to your head, man?"

"Promise that you'll trust me; I know what I'm doing," Yugi said. He dove into the water and the fish suddenly altered their course. They circled round and round Yugi, as if forming a glowing, protective bubble around him.

"Yugi hasn't led us wrong yet, right guys?" Tea asked. "I think that we should do what he says." And without another word, Tea dove into the water after Yugi. The fish circled around the both of them now.

Tristan turned to Joey. "On three." Joey nodded. "Ready – three!" They jumped in too, and as soon as the fish surrounded them. It was all flashes of silvery white for a while, but at last the two men made out the shapes of Yugi and Tea in the dark waters. They were holding hands.

"_Well done, little one," _the fish said to Yugi. _"Follow us – do not leave our sphere of protection, lest you and your friends perish."_

They moved forward at a slow pace, and Yugi diligently followed, kicking his legs as quickly as he could to keep up. He kept a firm hold on Tea's hand, as he had discovered that Tea had no idea of how to swim. He looked back and saw Joey and Tristan tailing them.

Down and down they went, until Yugi could see nothing but the gleaming fish in front of him. He never left their sphere, for he knew that he would be trapped at the bottom of the lake with no guide, no light, and no oxygen.

After traveling on a downward incline for a long time, the fish suddenly veered upward. Yugi knew that they were close to the castle now. Just as he predicted, his head popped above water for the first time in what seemed like ages. He took a deep, long, satisfying breath of real air, though that air stank like ancient dust and mildew.

Yugi pulled himself onto a damp stone floor and helped Tea to her feet. Joey and Tristan came up after them. The fish circled in the small square hole in the floor, glinting brilliantly in their dank surroundings.

"_You have done well so far, brother. Send the elf back with us and we will guide him to the surface," _the fish said. _"Now hurry, release him and escape with us yourselves!"_

"Thank you for your help, thank you very much," Yugi said quickly. Tea, Joey, and Tristan peered at him in confusion. "But please, tell me, why do you keep calling me 'brother'?"

"_We all share a common bond with those who possess minds and souls, regardless of shape or of power. Brother you are to us, for we share a common bond, you and we, and so shall you be our brother forever – not in blood, not in race, but in heart, where it truly matters."_


	11. A Found Crystal Elf and a Lost Friend

Yugi gasped. The others turned to see what he was looking at and were left speechless as well. A deathly pale, skeleton-thin, white-haired boy was chained to the wall with metal, rope, and some other glowing substance that the gang did not recognize. Strange and frightening contraptions hooked multicolored wires into the boy's skin. Some seemed to extract something from him, while others pumped foreign substances into his body.

"It must be Ryou," Yugi whispered. They hurried over, and Joey and Tristan disconnected all of the wires from Ryou's body. Ryou stirred.

"What are we supposed to do?" Tea asked frantically. "Ryou won't be able to swim if he's unconscious!"

Joey pulled Ryou over to the hole in the floor and flicking some of the freezing water onto Ryou's face. Ryou gasped suddenly and sat up in a flash.

"You gonna be all right?" Joey asked. In response, Ryou doubled over and vomited onto the floor. He wiped the bile off his mouth and coughed violently.

"Oh, dear…" he said softly. "How long have I been down here?"

"I'm sorry, Ryou, we honestly don't know," Tea said, crouching down beside the crystal elf.

Ryou looked fearfully at her. "How do you know my name?" he demanded. "Have we met before?"

"Calm down, man, no one's here to hurt ya," Tristan said reassuringly. "We need to get you out of here, and fast. Your big brother won't be happy that we're breaking in and trying to rescue you."

"Oh, yes…" Ryou muttered. It seemed he remembered his relationship with his big brother all too well. "But how are we going to leave? He must already be on his way…"

"Jump into the water over there with the fish and swim with them to the surface. We'll be right behind you," Yugi instructed. Ryou nodded and slid into the water shakily.

Joey grabbed Tea's hand and followed Ryou, while Tristan went in after them. Yugi was about to jump in himself, but something stopped him. Something wet had touched his bare foot. Yugi looked down and found himself standing in a pool of greenish-yellow liquid. The fumes from it suffocated him; he felt darkness close in around him and he passed out.

The gang crawled out of the water onto the grass and looked around. The fish had resumed their circular course, but Yugi had not come with them. "Hey, Yugi was right behind us, wasn't he?" Tea asked. Ryou breathed heavily, looking like he was about to pass out.

"I don't think Yugi ever left the castle," Ryou said. "I would be able to feel him."

"You mean… Yug's still in there?" Joey asked quietly. He growled. "Well, we hafta go back! We can't leave our buddy in there ta die!"

Joey made to jump into the water, but an invisible force held him back. "You can't go!" Ryou exclaimed. "I fear that it's too late for your friend now. My brother will have found him already. There's nothing we can do."

"Don't say that!" Tea yelled, tearing streaming from her eyes. "Don't say that Yugi… Yugi… Yugi can't be gone!"

"Guys," Tristan said softly. They were silent. "Ryou's with us now, which means that Bakura's spell on the castle is lifted. If anyone is going to be able to bring Yugi back in one piece, it's the pharaoh, right? I mean, he's supposed to be the strongest magician in the world!"

Ryou nodded. "Then come with me!" He snapped his fingers and the world in front of them seemed to disintegrate. They were blinded by a bright, white light for a split second, and then the world reformed. Instead of being at the base of the Dark Mountains, they were in the middle of the Minavre castle courtyard.

Tea ran up to the castle, where the king and all his subjects were emerging to see if the spell had really been lifted. "My lord… my lord!" she panted when she had reached Atem. She bowed quickly. "Please, it's Yugi! He's still at Bakura's castle!"

Atem's eyes flashed crimson, and Tea stepped back as his expression darkened severely. "So he would try to blackmail me…" Atem muttered. "Bakura will not kill Yugi quickly. That is not why he captured him. He wants to use Yugi to get to me, to try and win my throne through extortion. Yet he underestimates me," Atem growled. "I shall make him see why I was chosen to rule the people of Ishravitas."

He stormed off to the stables and pulled out four good and swift horses. He mounted one, while he handed the reins of another to Tea, Tristan, and Joey. "Your Majesty," Ryou said quietly, "do you not want me to come with you?"

"I would have no one else come with me, save for these few who care so dearly for Yugi's life," Atem replied. "It is for the best – they would never be content with waiting here for news."

"But I can help you!" Ryou said.

"I would not have you aid in the destruction of your brother, Ryou, not for anything. This is not your fight. Go to the magicians' quarters and Mana and Isis shall look after you," Atem commanded. Ryou knew better than to disobey the king's orders; he bowed and took off toward the palace.

"Now, we have a two days' gallop to the Vale of Tears," Atem said. "We shall not transport, for the elder Bakura will have numerous safeguards against such a thing. We ride."

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes and found himself lying on a green marble floor in the middle of a large and empty room. He pushed himself onto all fours and looked around blearily. Great columns supported the incredibly high ceiling, and a single door lay shut and bolted at the end of the room. A man was sitting cross-legged in a golden throne with a smirk on his face.

"It's about time you woke up," Bakura said. "I was beginning to think that we wouldn't be able to have any fun before the pharaoh arrived."

"Bakura!" Yugi exclaimed. His breath was shallow and panicked. Bakura was going to kill him! But… Ryou was free, wasn't he? The spell around the castle was gone, wasn't it? The dark cloud was no more, wasn't it? Yugi had done his duty to the world – wasn't that worth his life?

Yugi smiled. "You lost, Bakura. Even if you do kill me, Minavre isn't under your control anymore. King Atem is going to make you pay for what you've done… to everyone."

Bakura laughed. "Is that so? Well, little Yugi, I may have lost my idiot brother's power, but I have something else that I can use if _King _Atem happens to show up."

"And what's that?" Yugi asked bravely.

Bakura walked over to him and grabbed Yugi's throat, lifting him up with one hand. "I have you." Bakura tossed Yugi onto the ground, where the latter choked and gasped for air. "Atem won't just let me have my way with you. He knows that you won't die quickly in my hands. He will come and try to save you, but I'll have you perfectly within my power. And he will give up his rule and the rule of his descendants, or you will die and your soul shall suffer eternally in the Realm of the Shadows."

"Realm… of the Shadows?" Yugi asked, feeling more fear trying to claw its way into his mind. "Well, you'll still lose! Atem wouldn't give up the rights of the royal family just for me."

"Ah, how little we remember," Bakura said. "Perhaps he won't come after you, now that he sees what condition you're in. I wonder what he could be thinking…"

"What are you talking about?" Yugi asked. "What do you mean, 'what condition I'm in'?"

"You do know, don't you?" Bakura inquired mockingly. "You know that your entire childhood has been a sham, a web of lies? That your family isn't really your family? So where could those real parents of yours be?"

"Stop it," Yugi said. Bakura grinned at him. "Stop talking about my parents as though they're not my family!"

"But they're not," Bakura contradicted. "What if I told you that your parents, your family, and everyone you've ever known in your small little world have been an elaborate illusion formed by an incredibly powerful Royal?"

"That's not true."

"I know the truth! I can see the tendrils of manipulative magic stretching from Minavre and reaching all over the world! And the Royal who did it was working for the former king and queen of Ishravitas themselves! He destroyed your life and your mind for the sake of preserving the reputation of the royal family!" Bakura spat. "And that's what they all do! They make you feel like you're nothing compared to them, and that they deserve to rule over everything you are because they were born to different parents."

"No! King Atem isn't like that!" Yugi yelled. "He… he's not…" But Yugi didn't really know what Atem was like. He had only met him for a few hours a week and a half ago. For all he knew, Bakura was right.

"Perhaps you're right," Bakura said, shrugging. "Either way, I win. If he truly does care for you, then he will give up his throne to protect your soul. If not, then I get to watch you die before I leave this world."


	12. A Prince and a Slave's Son

Atem sat proudly on his horse outside of the heavily fortified castle carved into the rock of the Dark Mountains. "Bakura!" he shouted. "Do not angry me further. Come out and speak with me!"

He waited for a bit, and finally a gargoyle statue leaped off the parapets on the eastern outer wall of its own accord. It walked slowly and heavily in front of Atem and opened its gargantuan mouth, saying, "Lord Bakura will hear your words."

"Lord Bakura, he calls himself?" Atem asked, his eyes narrowing. "Well, tell your lord that I will flatter him by saying that he is, in fact, the cruelest and most malicious human I have ever met."

Within the walls of the castle, Bakura laughed. Yugi was lying next to him, unconscious, with yellow pus dribbling from his eyes. The gargoyle outside laughed as well. "Lord Bakura is pleased," it said, its lopsided mouth flopping uselessly as it spoke. "And as our guest, he would like to offer you this token."

The gargoyle flicked a small object into the air, and Atem caught it deftly. He looked at his hand and his eyes widened against his will. It was Yugi's citizen necklace, the one with the royal symbol embossed on it.

"And so he would like to make you an offer," the gargoyle continued. "Yugi is still alive. If you give us your word – the true promise of a Royal – that you will surrender your rights to the throne to Lord Bakura, he will spare young Yugi's life."

Atem's hand closed over the necklace. Tea, Joey, and Tristan looked on at him anxiously. He couldn't give up his kingship to Bakura… but he couldn't let Yugi die either! Yet Atem shut his eyes and smirked.

"Since Bakura's crime against Ishravitas has been greater than that of any other creature in five thousand years," Atem said, "his punishment will be greater as well. It proves how long it has been since the _real _power of a Royal has been used on this plane. There is a reason that my ancestors were chosen to rule over the other races – a reason that has not been revealed for so long that it has become only myth in the eyes of the people!"

Yugi opened his pus-filled eyes and dimly heard the words of the pharaoh echo within the great, marble-covered hall.

Atem began to glow, and when he spoke again his voice was dark and otherworldly. "How dare Bakura presume to call himself a ruler?! How dare he threaten my people?! Bakura! I have suffered you too long! Your so-called reign ends – now!"

Atem's aura pulsed once, and it seemed like the entire earth had exploded in one blast. Boulders rose out of the earth as if gravity didn't exist. The gargoyle in front of them crumbled into dust. The day was consumed by a blinding light, and as the shining light overtook Yugi's senses, he finally remembered…

* * *

"Looks like you're next in line for the slave trade, kid," a large, incredibly muscular man growled as he stuck a branding iron into white-hot coals. Yugi whimpered, but he could not run away. He was bound to a pole, his arms wrapped around the other side so tightly that he could barely move at all.

His parents were dead, so it would make no sense running away anyway. That's what happened when you lived in outskirt cities. The slave traders took away all the children and adolescents, killed the adults, and ransacked the houses for money, food, and booze.

Each slave trader had a mark or brand that he would burn into the skin of his captives so that people would know the slaves from the regular people. The slave-master wondered for a moment where this boy would end up. With some high-paying noblewoman who needed help carrying all her clothes and shoes when she went to the market? Hardly. The boy was far too miniscule for manual labor. He was fairly attractive, though… maybe one of the pedophilic barons would like to take him for a ride.

The slave-master took the gleaming brand from the flames and walked over to Yugi. "This one belongs to Havir," he muttered, and he was about to press the metal "H" rune to the boy's skin when –

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" a small but fiery voice yelled from behind him. The slave-master spun around and nearly laughed. The boy who had just yelled at him had to be of the same unusually short stature as the boy tied to the pole. They looked shockingly similar, but this one's clothes were different… fancier…

"Your Majesty!" Havir exclaimed, dropping his brand on the stone street immediately. "I beg your pardon, my lord." He bowed and cursed mentally. He had almost mistaken the prince for a slave's brother!

The prince's violet eyes turned bloody red. "Let him go and leave him be. Now!" Even though he was a child, his voice commanded obedience. Havir untied Yugi, however reluctantly, and bowed as he returned to his home, ranting and cursing in his head the entire way.

Yugi rubbed his wrists and sniffed. "Are you all right?" the prince asked, even kneeling down next to Yugi to examine him for wounds.

"A-are you really Prince Atem?" Yugi asked. He realized his mistake and looked horrified. "I'm sorry – of course you are, Your Highness, I meant no disrespect… Yes, I'm fine, th-thank you very much."

"Calm down. I'm not going to have you arrested," Atem said, laughing. "He won't be coming after you again, but I think you should go back home to your family before another slave trader tries to kidnap you."

"Your Highness…" Yugi said quietly, "my family is dead. I don't have anywhere to go."

Atem looked taken aback. "If your family is dead, how did you end up in Minavre all by yourself?" he asked. Apparently Prince Atem knew nothing about how he got his all servants. Yugi explained it to him.

"That's terrible! I'm sure my father doesn't know about this," Atem said pensively. "We have to tell him!" Before Yugi could protest, Atem had grabbed his hand and set off at full speed toward the castle. Atem ran faster than anyone Yugi had ever seen before, and Yugi found it difficult to keep up.

By the time the duo reached the palace, Yugi was completely out of breath. Atem looked at Yugi, who was gasping for air and holding the stitch in his side. "Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I forgot that humans – that civilians can't run as well as we can."

"It's… fine… Your… Majesty," Yugi panted. Atem led him up the palace steps and past the guards into the garden. Yugi had never seen it before. It was all filled with vegetables and fruit trees that made Yugi salivate, for he was very hungry.

"Father… Father!" Atem yelled, rushing into the palace hall. The floors and walls glittered with gold. "Father, I was taking a look around the city…"

"Again! And again without an escort!" Atem's father yelled, getting up from his throne. "How many times do I have to tell you that the streets are dangerous for the royal family, especially when you do not know how to control your powers?" For the first time, King Aknamkanon noticed Yugi standing sheepishly next to Atem. Yugi bowed. "And you return with some slave's son?" Aknamkanon asked, his voice sounding disappointed and exasperated.

"Father, they're doing terrible things to the servants and their families!" Atem said fervently, ignoring his father's rebukes. "This is Yugi." Oddly enough, Yugi could never remember telling Atem his name. "The slave traders killed his parents and stole his prized possessions. They were about to brand his skin as if he were a cow, Father!"

"My son, such is the custom for all outsiders," King Aknamkanon said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "And if this Yugi here is an outsider, then the same should be done to him as well."

Atem gaped at his father. "But Father…"

"If you care for him, then he can be yours," the king said, returning to the throne. "We won't even have him branded. Your studies begin at midday. Now, go entertain yourself – within the castle – until your lessons start."

Atem walked out of the hall, dumbfounded, and Yugi hurried after him. Yugi followed Atem to his room, where the latter rested against his balcony and looked down sadly at the garden.

"M-master?" Yugi asked.

"Do not call me that. Never call me that," Atem instructed. He turned around. "You don't deserve to be treated this way just because you were born to outsiders. No one with a soul deserves to do the work of animals." Atem grabbed Yugi hand. "We look alike enough to be brothers, don't we? In my mind, we are. We are equals, you and I, because we have the same heart. That's where it really matters."

* * *

Yugi went out to the well to get some water for his "master". He had been in the service of Prince Atem for four years. To think that he had only been seven when he first arrived. After all this time, Atem still wanted them to be equals or brothers, so he had taken every opportunity to be unnecessarily kind to Yugi. When Yugi would prepare Atem's meals, Atem would share his fancier food with him. Atem insisted he sleep in his bedroom instead of sleeping in the servants' quarters, explaining to his father that he needed Yugi on call twenty-four seven.

But now Prince Atem was not going to be Prince Atem for much longer. King Aknamkanon had died at an early age, leaving his son to inherit the throne. Yugi knew that Atem was sad, but not very much so. An abrupt change in Aknamkanon's personality had caused him and Atem to grow radically apart as their morals differed more and more.

Atem would be a good king, Yugi was sure of it. He would free the forest fairies. He would abolish the slave industry. He would restore good relations with the outsiders. But no matter what, Yugi was not going to leave his master. Atem was the only friend he had, and deep down Yugi thought that he was the closest friend Atem had.

Atem shared everything with Yugi, even down to his most ignoble thoughts and desires. In private, Atem even allowed Yugi to call him by his first name. They were as close as brothers, but deep down Yugi knew that as Atem continued to master his inhumanly strong magical powers, they were getting less and less equal every day.

"_We are equals, you and I, because we have the same heart. That's where it really matters."_

The words echoed in Yugi's mind. Could they be true? Could one person be so much stronger than another, yet be considered equals? It didn't make any sense, mathematically, logically, or any other way.

"Sorry, Atem," Yugi muttered as he lowered the bucket into the well. "In the end, you're always going to be my master."

"Is that how you really see it?" Atem asked from behind him. Yugi jumped and splashed water all over himself. He sighed, dripping wet, and knew that Atem had not only heard his comment, but most of his thoughts as well. "You make me sad, Yugi. I have considered you my friend from the beginning."

"I know that," Yugi said softly, lowering his bucket again. He felt his skin and clothes dry in an instant, knowing that Atem had done it with nothing more than a flick of his finger. "And I also know that there's a reason that Royals haven't befriended humans before."

"Because of nothing more than prejudice."

"Your word is truth, Your Majesty," Yugi said, obediently following the proper conduct for conversations with Royals. Atem's frown grew even deeper. "Still… truth or not, I can't believe it. Y-you're going to be a king now, and…" Tears formed in Yugi's eyes. "You should start thinking about starting a family, master."

"I told you not to call me that!" Atem yelled angrily. Yugi saw his eyes flash crimson and backed away. Atem sighed at Yugi and rubbed his forehead. "Yugi," Atem said with a desperate tone, "do not step away from me. You are my dearest friend – one that I would call my brother!"

"But I'm not your brother," Yugi contradicted. "I'm just a slave's son."

"Don't do that! Don't talk to me like I'm my father!" Atem exclaimed. "I have never looked down on you, never treated like you like you were inferior. I may be a king, I may be a magician, I may be a Royal, but none of that matters to me, don't you understand?"

Yugi looked up into Atem's eyes. "Maybe it should." He grabbed the bucket of water and hurried back to Atem's room.

"Yugi!" Atem called after him.

Yugi stopped. "I think I'll see at your coronation ceremony, King Atem." And he walked away.

Coronation ceremony had begun about an hour ago, but Yugi still did not enter. He went into the garden with a basket and went to pick almonds instead. No, he would never leave Atem, his only friend… but they could only be so close, considering the major differences between them.

It was noisy out here in the garden, as the entire population of Minavre had been invited to greet their new pharaoh at the east balcony. Yugi kept picking as Master Shimon walked out into the view of ten-thousands. "Citizens of Minavre," he said, "welcome your new king!"

A mixture of applause, cheering, and the sound of thousands of people dropping to their knees in supplication met Yugi's ears and brought more tears to his eyes. He sat down in the dirt, the will to pick almonds leaving him. Footsteps approached him, but he did not care.

"You!" a voice yelled, and a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to his feet. "Disgrace to the royal family and shame of my brother!"

"Master Aknadin?" Yugi asked confusedly, shrinking in the presence of his master's angry uncle. "Master Aknadin, what's the matter?"

"I shall protect my nephew from your disrepute," Aknadin said, pulling out a sword from the sheath at his hip. Yugi's eyes widened. But instead of running Yugi through, he hit the boy on the head with the hilt of the blade, knocking Yugi unconscious. "And I shall send you far, far away from here, to a place of which you know not."

Aknadin stole away from the castle while the coronation ceremony was taking place. First he erased the boy's memory and replaced it with memories he devised himself. A poor family – an outsider town – a single Minavran citizenship necklace, and the explanation for it – all this he devised with a clever illusion spell, one that would deceive humans round the world for decades. And he transported Yugi to the far south, never to be heard from again.

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes slowly. He felt warm, soft covers above him, and a plushy mattress beneath him. It was bright and sunny. The laughter of children and the sounds of construction came in through the window.

"You remember everything, don't you?" a deep voice asked him.

Yugi closed his eyes again. "I remember, master. Everything."


	13. Destiny and a Sorrowful Goodbye

Well, this is the final update—of the final fic! This means I'll be saying goodbye to you guys. I am immensely, unspeakably grateful for all of your support. You've stuck with me, encouraging me to write on, challenging me to constantly improve. You inspired me to pass this stage and move on to writing original works. If it hadn't been for those two reviews for my very first chapter, I would probably have given up when I began almost two years ago. You've cheered me up when I'm down and put me in my place when I got too big for my britches. I owe you a debt I can never repay. I'd just like to thank you all. I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed and everyone who's favorited my stories or favorited me. I'd like to thank the nameless "visitors" who have spent their precious time reading my work. I'd like to especially thank **Deviousdragon**, who has been my faithful editor for many months and prevented me from embarrassing myself too badly.

I don't know if I'll ever publish my original works, but I hope to, someday. Until then—goodbye. I'll miss you all.

* * *

Yugi and Atem sat opposite each other in the dining hall. Atem had requested that they dine alone so that Yugi could get reacquainted with his old memories in peace. Atem remained silent, waiting for Yugi to speak up first.

"Did you know what happened to me?" Yugi asked suddenly.

Atem shook his head. "I never did learn. I searched for you for many months, though. I ran mind scans on everyone in Minavre… Shame that Uncle Aknadin was poisoned by his slave Kisara before I got around to him," he said conversationally. "After about a year, I gave up, believing that you were dead."

"You must have been surprised when you saw me, huh?" Yugi asked, a ghost of a smile touching his lips.

Atem chuckled. "It was a bit of a shock, I'll admit, to see you standing there in the flesh after all those years. When I saw that you didn't remember me, I decided not to tell you about your past. Think about how hard it would have been for you to accept that your parents and your childhood were nothing more than a spell. That was not for me to tell you."

The sounds of construction continually echoed around the castle and around the entire city of Minavre. To rebuild the city's population, Atem had invited anyone and everyone to stay in the town, as long as they were willing to fix up their decrepit homes when they moved in.

"Where am I going to go now?" Yugi asked. "Those people may not have been real to you or to anyone else, but they were my family! What about my mother and my father, my sister and my brother?"

"There was a time I called you my brother, Yugi," Atem said softly.

Yugi stared at him. "You want me to stay here with you?" he asked. Atem nodded. "But… Your Highness…"

"What? Do you think that our circumstances have changed?"

"No," Yugi replied, shaking his head. "I think they really haven't."

Atem stared at Yugi. "Slavery is no more, Yugi. You are not my servant and I am not your master."

"Then that's all the more reason why I don't really belong here," Yugi explained. "I have nothing to offer you. I'm not a magician or a Royal… I'm not even a slave anymore! What would I do with myself here?"

"You say that you don't belong here. Then where do you belong?" Atem asked. Yugi was silent. "All your life you have focused on surviving, having no opportunity to pursue your passions, whatever they may be. Now that you have that opportunity, where would you go? If you seek a career, what better place is there than a growing city? If you seek safety and comfort, then the palace is where you should be.

"And if you can offer me nothing else, then you can offer me friendship, true friendship as I have not had for too long. I was seven years old when I met you, Yugi! I didn't have to worry about family dignity or any semblance of decorum. I could be myself with you then, I can be myself with you now, and I would not trade that liberty for anything if I had the choice."

Yugi hesitated. His fabricated life was gone. But his true life was still here, waiting for him to return. Atem was giving him an opportunity that he could hardly refuse, a chance to live life to the full. "I'll stay here with you… for a while… and see if this can work out," Yugi said at length. "But if it doesn't, then I'm going to have to go somewhere else, okay?"

"As you wish," Atem replied casually, but a smile crossed his lips for a split second. "While you slept, your friends told me all about your adventures. Silent Magician has been released, and my dear cousin Seto has reluctantly agreed to return to the palace."

"Oh, yeah, you two were cousins…" Yugi said. "I forgot." He smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Bobasa has set up shop in Minavre, rent free," Atem continued. "It was the least I could do to repay him for the destruction of his diner." Yugi peered at him. "An unfortunate side-effect of such a powerful spell," Atem explained. "Many things get caught in the cross-fire. No one will be able to reside near the Dark Mountains for quite some time."

Yugi felt an uncomfortable twinge in his stomach. "It was what had to be done, Yugi," Atem said softly. "These are the kinds of choices rulers have to face. The display was necessary to instill a long-lost respect for Royals in the people. Had I not, we would have been choosing rebellion instead."

"Yeah, I understand," Yugi said. Atem looked into his eyes.

"You have never been comfortable with violence. That has not changed after all these years, it seems." Atem sighed. "Yugi, as I have told you many times before, I work for peace, which means that violence is included."

"Why does it have to be that way?" Yugi asked sadly.

"Royal though I am, I do not have the power to change the natural laws of this world. Even I must abide by them," Atem responded. "You are innocent because you believe in an ideal world – a world that will never be."

"You don't know that," Yugi contradicted. "Your Majesty," he added.

Atem laughed shortly. "I don't. But I know that I have to live in this world, in this age, and make choices based on that. War is a part of my life, and it is a part of yours as well. Just make sure that you fight on the right side."

Yugi sighed. "What about Joey, Tristan, and Tea? What are they going to do now that we've stopped Bakura?" Yugi asked.

"They are going back to their homes. Today, in fact. But they wanted to say goodbye to you before they left."

Yugi stood up and bowed to Atem. "If you don't mind, I'd like to see them."

"Feel free," Atem replied.

Yugi walked into the garden and found his friends talking to one another. Joey and Tristan began to fight, and Tea slapped them both on the back of the head to silence them. Suddenly, she saw Yugi and ran over to him. "Yugi, you're all right!" she exclaimed, hugging him until he could no longer breathe. "Oh, we were so worried!"

"Come on, Tea," Tristan said. "King Atem himself cured Yugi. Like a Royal wouldn't be able to cure an infection caused by a regular human…"

"You were asleep for three days! Of course we were worried!" Tea yelled angrily.

Joey walked up to Yugi and extended one of his hands. "Yug', man, it's been really nice hangin' out with ya. I feel like we're family, even though we've only known each other for a couple of weeks!"

"You gonna be all right, Joey?" Yugi asked, shaking Joey's hand.

He waved dismissively. "We'll be fine! Tristan and I have been through some tough times. Maybe not as tough as this… but I figure that everythin' else will seem easy now, y'know?"

"Yugi…" Tea began. Tears welled in her eyes. "We're really going to miss you." She hugged him again. "You can stop by the forest anytime, okay?"

"Yeah, come pay us a visit every now and then!" Tristan said.

Yugi smiled at them. "I'm going to miss you too, guys." They mounted their horses and waved Yugi goodbye as they rode among the ruins of the city. "I'm going to miss you."

Now everything connected to his old life was gone. Pelionath and his family had been an illusion all along, his new friends had returned to their homes, and he was here with no job, no skills, and no friends.

No friends but one.

Yugi went over to the well and dropped a bucket into the water. It came up cool and clear, and was about to turn around when –

"What are you doing?"

Yugi jumped into the air in shock, dousing himself with the water he had just drawn. He looked up at the pharaoh, not even trying to restrain his glare. Sighing, he drew another bucketful of water, feeling his clothes and skin dry in an instant.

"I'll ask you again – what are you doing?" Atem inquired.

Yugi turned around, bucket in hand. "I'm doing what I know how to do."

"I told you that slavery does not exist anymore," Atem protested. "You are no slave's son anymore."

"This is the only life I've ever known," Yugi replied. "Even when I was living in Pelionath, every day was filling with these kinds of duties. I feel comfortable doing this, and I'm good at it, so… Can I be your servant again?"

Atem put his hands on Yugi's shoulders. "You never were."

"Come on," Yugi pleaded. "Your Majesty, I get better food here than I could ever ask. I get a soft bed and warm clothes. I get a good friend and a kind master, don't I?"

"I'm not—"

"Even if I did find a job I could do decently somewhere else, I'd still be _serving _my employer, wouldn't I?" Yugi argued.

Atem looked away. "A good friend?" he asked finally.

Yugi smiled. "In the heart – where it really matters."


End file.
